Leon Carnovsky
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Leon Carnovsky (November 28, 1903 – December 6, 1975) was an American librarian and educator who focused much of his career surveying libraries in the United States and around the globe. Carnovsky was recognized by ''
American Libraries ''American Libraries'' is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association (ALA). About ''American Libraries'' was first published in 1970 as a continuation of the long-running ''ALA Bulletin,'' which had served as the Association’ ...
'' as one of the 100 most influential figures in Library and Information Sciences.


Personal life

Carnovsky was born on November 28, 1903, in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, one of seven children born to Isaac, a grocer from
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, and Jennie Stillman Carnovsky, both Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. The actor
Morris Carnovsky Morris Carnovsky (September 5, 1897 – September 1, 1992) was an American stage and film actor. He was one of the founders of the Group Theatre (1931-1940) in New York City and had a thriving acting career both on Broadway and in films u ...
(1897–1992) was his elder brother. In early life, Carnovsky found intellectual pursuits to be most interesting, and was encouraged by his parents to continue his intellectual growth, which included frequent trips to the local library.Wedgeworth, R. (1993). World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services (3 ed.). As a young man in the library profession, Leon met Marian Satterthwaite, director of the
Enoch Pratt Free Library The Enoch Pratt Free Library is the free public library system of Baltimore, Maryland. Its Central Library is located on 400 Cathedral Street (southbound) and occupies the northeastern three quarters of a city block bounded by West Franklin S ...
training class in Baltimore, and was eventually married on August 25, 1939. After her death in January 1965, Leon was remarried in 1967 to Ruth French Strout, dean of students and
associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...
in the
University of Chicago Graduate Library School The University of Chicago Graduate Library School (GLS) was established in 1928 to develop a program for the graduate education of librarians with a focus on research. Housed for a time in the Joseph Regenstein Library, the GLS closed in 1989 whe ...
.Haygood, W. C. (1968). Leon Carnovsky: ASketch.
The Library Quarterly ''The Library Quarterly'' is a quarterly double-anonymous peer-reviewed academic journal covering library science, including historical, sociological, statistical, bibliographical, managerial, psychological, and educational aspects of the field ...
38(4), 422-428.


Education

After completing his
grade school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
education, Carnovsky took a position in St Louis as a secretary in a manufacturing company that produced
piston A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder (engine), cylinder a ...
s and
piston ring A piston ring is a metallic split ring that is attached to the outer diameter of a piston in an internal combustion engine or steam engine. The main functions of piston rings in engines are: # Sealing the combustion chamber so that there is mini ...
s, not planning to further his education. However, after much prodding from his boss, he decided to return to the
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
to pursue a degree in
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
. After a short time at the university, he became enamored with his
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
professor, Glenn R. Morrow, and changed his major to philosophy, with a minor in
sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
. Upon completion of his degree, he researched the possibility of pursuing a career in librarianship. After studying as the first male library student at the St. Louis library school for a year, he received a scholarship from the Carnegie Foundation and moved to Chicago to pursue a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
from the new
University of Chicago Graduate Library School The University of Chicago Graduate Library School (GLS) was established in 1928 to develop a program for the graduate education of librarians with a focus on research. Housed for a time in the Joseph Regenstein Library, the GLS closed in 1989 whe ...
. During his tenure in the Graduate Library School, he was convinced to continue his studies past the attainment of a master's degree and instead completed his Ph.D., titling his dissertation “The Reading Needs of Typical Students, with Special Attention to Factors Contributing to the Satisfactions of Reading Interests.”


Early career

After graduating from the University of Chicago, Carnovsky joined the faculty of the university in 1932 as an instructor, a position that he kept until his retirement in 1971. During his early career at the university, he, along with many other faculty, began to write to further the academic purpose of the Graduate Library School. Many of these works focused on the theory behind
library science Library and information science (LIS)Library and Information Sciences is the name used in the Dewey Decimal Classification for class 20 from the 18th edition (1971) to the 22nd edition (2003). are two interconnected disciplines that deal with info ...
, as opposed to earlier works that primarily included “trade-schoolish” direction.


Surveyor of libraries

As Carnovsky began to further his career, he became more interested in the inner workings of
public libraries ''Public Libraries'' is the official publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is devoted exclusively to public libraries. The print edition is published six times a year and i ...
. He undertook his first library survey during his early teaching career. During the survey of metropolitan library services, which was funded by the Chicago Library Club, Carnovsky developed a comprehensive list by which to guide future surveys that would be conducted by himself and his colleagues. During his career, he was asked to contribute to surveys of libraries across the country and around the world. From his surveys, Carnovsky provided reports that discussed his findings, many of which were collaborative pieces. These surveys were conducted throughout the United States, including Michigan, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina.Schlipf, F. A. (1968). Leon Carnovsky: A Bibliography. The Library Quarterly, 38


Other major professional accomplishments

Later on in his career, issues surrounding international librarianship became of great concern to Carnovsky. He became an important consultant across the world, and conducted surveys of libraries in many different countries. As a consultant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
), he advised the
Israeli government The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government (also known as the cabinet). Legislat ...
on the potential opportunity to open a school for library education. Upon his recommendation in his report “Report on a Programme of Library Education in Israel,” the beginnings of a library education were built. After the completion of his work in Israel, UNESCO asked him to conduct a similar study in Greece; however, his recommendations were not followed in this case. Along with his constant analysis through library surveys, Carnovsky also held various board positions with the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
(ALA), was President of the Association of American Library Schools (now
Association for Library and Information Science Education The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) (pronounced "Ah-lease") promotes education for the information professions internationally through engagement, advocacy and research. ALISE is a non-profit professional associa ...
), and received a
Fulbright Grant The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...
to conduct a study of international public libraries. During the time that Carnovsky served as the chairman of the ALA Committee on Accreditation, he spent his time travelling to libraries throughout the country to conduct accreditation visits. In his post as editor of the ''
Library Quarterly ''The Library Quarterly'' is a quarterly double-anonymous peer-reviewed academic journal covering library science, including historical, sociological, statistical, bibliographical, managerial, psychological, and educational aspects of the field. ...
'', which he held from 1943 to 1961, Carnovsky became more well known for his contributions to international librarianship. He was honored by the American Library Association with the Melvil Dewey Medal in 1962 and the Joseph W. Lippincott Award in 1975.


Publications

Throughout his career, Carnovsky furthered the work of librarians in the United States and around the world by publishing many works that discussed the issues that were at the heart of librarianship. His extensive bibliography includes journal articles, reports, addresses, books, letters, biographies, and even a poem or two. According to a 1968 bibliography, some of his many works include: * "The Dormitory Library: An Experiment in Stimulating Reading." (1933). ''The Library Quarterly:'' 37–65. * "A Study of the Relationship between Reading Interest and Actual Reading." (1934). ''The Library Quarterly: Information Community Policy:'' 76–110. * "Why Graduate Study in Librarianship?" (1937). ''The Library Quarterly: Information Community Policy:'' 246–61. * 1940. ''A Metropolitan Library in Action : A Survey of the Chicago Public Library'' by Carleton Bruns Joeckel and Leon Carnovsky. Chicago: Ill. the University of Chicago Press. * "Preparation for the Librarian’s Profession. (1942). ''The Library Quarterly:'' 404–11. * "Self-Evaluation: Or, How Good Is My Library?" (1942).''College & Research Libraries"'' 304–10. *''The Library in General Education.'' (1943) Wilson, Louis R; Ralph A Beals, Leon Carnovsky, Bess Goodykoont,z and Nelson B Henry. Chicago: University press. * "An Experiment to Stimulate Reading on Latin America." (1943), ''ALA Bulletin:'' 293–96. * "Can the Public Library Defend the Right to Freedom of Inquiry?" (1944). ''ALA Bulletin:'' 255–57. * ''The Obligations and Responsibilities of the Librarian Concerning Censorship.'' (1950). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. * "The Public Libraries of Paris." (1952). ''The Library Quarterly: Information Community Policy:'' 194–99. * ''Pierce Butler, 1886-1953.'' (1953). ''The Library Quarterly: Information Community Policy'' 153–54. * “The Public Library in the United States.” (1953). ''Libri:'' 281–91. * ''International Aspects of Librarianship.'' (Chicago: University of Chicago Press). 1954. Also in German. *1954. “Patterns of Library Government and Coverage in European Nations.” ''The Library Quarterly:'' 138–53. * “Public Library Surveys and Evaluation.” (1955). ''The Library Quarterly:'' 23–36. * ''Report of a Programme of Library Education in Israel.'' (1956.) Paris: Unesco. * ''A Library School for Greece: A Prospectus.'' Unesco. (1962). Chicago: Graduate Library School University of Chicago. *''The Medium-Sized Library: Its Status and Future.'' (with) Howard W Winger. (1963). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. * "The Role of the Public Library: Implications for Library Education." (1964). ''The Library Quarterly: Information Community Policy:'' 315–25. *''The Public Library in Urban Setting.''(1968). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. * ''Library Networks - Promise and Performance: July 29-31 1968.'' (1969). Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. * ''The Foreign Student in the Accredited Library School'' (1971). Washington D.C: U.S. Office of Education. Undated: * ''Impressions of British Librarianship Today: A Symposium by Recent Visitors'' * ''Measure for Measure'' * ''UNESCO Summer School'' * ''I Never Enjoyed Such a Year'' * ''Library Education in the United States: A Statement of its Rationale'' * ''The Library as a Social Institution'' * ''Publishing the Results of Research in Librarianship'' * ''What People Want to Read About'' * ''Reading in a College Residence Hall'' * ''Libraries in Nazi Germany'' * ''They Read: What Then?'' * ''T. E. Lawrence'' * ''Worst Periodical Usually Found in Library Reading Rooms with Reasons – from the Point of View of Its Influence on American Civilization'' * ''On In-Service Training'' * ''Kellogg Foundation Institute'' * ''War and the Reading Public'' * ''Toward World Literacy''


End of life

After the end of his career at the University of Chicago in 1971, Carnovsky relocated to his
retirement home A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home, old folks' home, or old age home, although ''old people's home'' can also refer to a nursing home – or rest home, is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Ty ...
in
Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
. He died there on December 6, 1975.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carnovsky, Leon 20th-century American educators Librarians from Missouri University of Chicago faculty 1903 births 1975 deaths University of Missouri alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Chicago Graduate Library School alumni Library science scholars American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent