Margaret Elizabeth Egan
Encyclopedia
Margaret Elizabeth Egan (March 14, 1905 – January 26, 1959) was an American librarian and communication scholar who is best known for “Foundations of a Theory in Bibliography,” published in Library Quarterly in 1952 and co-authored with Jesse Hauk Shera
. This article marked the first appearance of the term "social epistemology
" in connection with library science.
, in 1905. She obtained a B.A. at the University of Cincinnati
in 1939 and completed graduate work at both Yale University
(1940-41) and the University of Chicago
(1941-43). She worked at the Cincinnati Public Library from 1933 to 1940; in 1943 Egan joined the Industrial Relations Center of the University of Chicago
as librarian and began teaching in the Graduate Library School (GLS). She was appointed as an assistant professor in the GLS in 1946 and was an associate editor of Library Quarterly from 1952 to 1955. She left Chicago in 1955 and joined Jesse Shera
at the School of Library Science at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio
, where she first served as a research associate at the newly formed Center for Documentation and Communication Research. In 1956 she was appointed as an associate professor.
Egan died of a heart attack in 1959 at the age of 53.
, “the production, distribution, and utilization of intellectual products” (Egan and Shera 1952), correlates the production and consumption of information to that of material goods. Shera later wrote that social epistemology “is the study of knowledge in society,” distinct from previous investigations of individual knowledge.
Furner (2004) lists the following contributions made in “Foundations of a Theory of Bibliography”:
Jesse Shera
Jesse Hauk Shera was an American librarian and information scientist who pioneered the use of information technology in libraries and played a role in the expansion of its use in other areas throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s....
. This article marked the first appearance of the term "social epistemology
Social epistemology
Social epistemology is a broad set of approaches to the study of knowledge, all of which construe human knowledge as a collective achievement. Another way of positioning social epistemology is as the study of the social dimensions of knowledge. One of the enduring difficulties with defining social...
" in connection with library science.
Biography
Margaret Egan was born in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, in 1905. She obtained a B.A. at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1939 and completed graduate work at both Yale University
Yale 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...
(1940-41) and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1941-43). She worked at the Cincinnati Public Library from 1933 to 1940; in 1943 Egan joined the Industrial Relations Center of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
as librarian and began teaching in the Graduate Library School (GLS). She was appointed as an assistant professor in the GLS in 1946 and was an associate editor of Library Quarterly from 1952 to 1955. She left Chicago in 1955 and joined Jesse Shera
Jesse Shera
Jesse Hauk Shera was an American librarian and information scientist who pioneered the use of information technology in libraries and played a role in the expansion of its use in other areas throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s....
at the School of Library Science at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, where she first served as a research associate at the newly formed Center for Documentation and Communication Research. In 1956 she was appointed as an associate professor.
Egan died of a heart attack in 1959 at the age of 53.
Social Epistemology
Social epistemologySocial epistemology
Social epistemology is a broad set of approaches to the study of knowledge, all of which construe human knowledge as a collective achievement. Another way of positioning social epistemology is as the study of the social dimensions of knowledge. One of the enduring difficulties with defining social...
, “the production, distribution, and utilization of intellectual products” (Egan and Shera 1952), correlates the production and consumption of information to that of material goods. Shera later wrote that social epistemology “is the study of knowledge in society,” distinct from previous investigations of individual knowledge.
Furner (2004) lists the following contributions made in “Foundations of a Theory of Bibliography”:
- Establishing “informed social action” as the goal of library service.
- Establishing the extent to which librarianship contributes to attaining this goal as “the primary criterion by which [bibliographic services] may be evaluated.”
- Providing “a theoretical framework … for the study of information-seeking behavior, knowledge organization, and bibliometrics,” which is then treated as “a theoretical foundation for library and information science.”
- Using the term “social epistemologySocial epistemologySocial epistemology is a broad set of approaches to the study of knowledge, all of which construe human knowledge as a collective achievement. Another way of positioning social epistemology is as the study of the social dimensions of knowledge. One of the enduring difficulties with defining social...
” in this context for the first time.
Errors of Attribution
Although Egan was the first author on “Foundations of a Theory of Bibliography,” her untimely death (and Shera’s prolific publishing that followed) have led to frequent omissions of her name when citing the work. In 1978, Shera wrote that "both the term and the concept [of social epistemology] were hers, but because I have given it wide currency, despite frequent disclaimers, it has generally been attributed to me.”See also
- Dick, Archie L. 2002. “Social Epistemology, Information Science and Ideology.” Social Epistemology 16(1): 23-35.
- Egan, Margaret E., and Jesse H. Shera. 1952. “Foundations of a Theory of Bibliography.” Library Quarterly 22(2):125-137.
- Furner, Jonathan. 2004. “‘A Brilliant Mind’: Margaret Egan and Social Epistemology.” Library Trends 52(4):792-809.