Arthur Elmore Bostwick
Encyclopedia
Arthur Elmore Bostwick was a United States
librarian
and author
.
, where he received his B.A. in 1881, and his Ph.D.
degree in 1883. He taught high school in Montclair, New Jersey
, for two years, before engaging in literary work on Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary. With his cousin John D. Champlin, he edited a popular Young Folks' Cyclopedia of Games and Sports (1890).
He started his library career in 1895 as chief librarian at New York Free Circulating Library
, where his former boss William W. Appleton (1845-1924) had founded and chaired the library committee. He viewed libraries as venues for popular education, in contrast with many librarians at that time, like John Shaw Billings
, who viewed them as mainly for reference use. In 1899, he moved to the Brooklyn Public Library. He accomplished much, though civil service struggles persuaded him to move back to former position in 1901, and in a merger with New York Public Library
he became chief of circulation, with Billings as director. Here too he accomplished a great deal, but struggles with Billings persuaded him to move on and accept the opportunity to head the Saint Louis Public Library in 1909.
At St. Louis, he remained head librarian until 1838, and associate librarian until his death. He found the system with four branches, and expanded it to 19. In American National Biography
, John Mark Tucker criticizes his service during World War I
because he removed pro-German material from the library shelves. Joseph Alfred Boromé, in Dictionary of American Biography
, praises his liberality during this time because he refused to halt circulation of German
books.
Bostwick was president of the American Library Association
1907-08. In 1925, he visited China
at the request of a library association there to inspect facilities and make recommendations. In 1885, he married Lucy Sawyer. They had three children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Biography
His father died when he was 12, and his mother supplemented the family income by various means to afford his education at Litchfield Institute, and later at Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he received his B.A. in 1881, and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree in 1883. He taught high school in Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, for two years, before engaging in literary work on Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary. With his cousin John D. Champlin, he edited a popular Young Folks' Cyclopedia of Games and Sports (1890).
He started his library career in 1895 as chief librarian at New York Free Circulating Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, where his former boss William W. Appleton (1845-1924) had founded and chaired the library committee. He viewed libraries as venues for popular education, in contrast with many librarians at that time, like John Shaw Billings
John Shaw Billings
John Shaw Billings was an American librarian and surgeon best known as the modernizer of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office of the Army and as the first director of the New York Public Library.-Biography:...
, who viewed them as mainly for reference use. In 1899, he moved to the Brooklyn Public Library. He accomplished much, though civil service struggles persuaded him to move back to former position in 1901, and in a merger with New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
he became chief of circulation, with Billings as director. Here too he accomplished a great deal, but struggles with Billings persuaded him to move on and accept the opportunity to head the Saint Louis Public Library in 1909.
At St. Louis, he remained head librarian until 1838, and associate librarian until his death. He found the system with four branches, and expanded it to 19. In American National Biography
American National Biography
The American National Biography is a 24 volume biographical encyclopedia set containing approximately 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. A 400-entry supplement appeared in 2002...
, John Mark Tucker criticizes his service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
because he removed pro-German material from the library shelves. Joseph Alfred Boromé, in Dictionary of American Biography
Dictionary of American Biography
The Dictionary of American Biography was published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. The first edition was published in 20 volumes from 1928 to 1936. These 20 volumes contained 15,000 biographies...
, praises his liberality during this time because he refused to halt circulation of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
books.
Bostwick was president of the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
1907-08. In 1925, he visited China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
at the request of a library association there to inspect facilities and make recommendations. In 1885, he married Lucy Sawyer. They had three children.
Works
- The American Public Library, undertaken at Appleton's suggestion (1910)
- The Different West, as seen by a Transplanted Easterner (1913)
- Earmarks of Literature (1914)
- The Making of an American Library (1915)