The Evolution of the American Academic Library Building - Hardcover

...it can confidently be said...to fill a gap...a truly admirable book, revealing a mastery of the subject by its author...he writes elegantly; he keeps the essence of the argument constantly to the fore; and he is willing to pass informed and telling judgement on practices both past and present...well documented...highly recommended. * Australian Library Journal * Kaser is...uniquely placed to have prepared such a volume... * Library Review * ...a concise, lucid, and well-researched history of the way that American academic libraries have evolved from one-room facilities of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to the large and complex structures characteristic of the twentieth century...recommended... * College & Research Libraries * ...the author explores how an academic institution's identity was often reflected in the architecture of its library...a well-researched and unique volume. * Journal Of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Informati *

As a consultant on the design of academic library buildings, David Kaser often wondered why certain libraries were designed as they were. Finding the answer to this question led him to visit over 600 libraries throughout the world, and to assemble information on over 1,500 structures. The results of his wide-ranging search are documented in this comprehensive book, which traces the architectural history of American academic libraries from the 1800s to the present. For selected buildings-those which the author considered typical of a specific era or environment-detailed information is provided, including a wealth of photographs, diagrams and charts. Other buildings are listed in the comprehensive appendix included in the book, along with their location and the date the library was first opened. From the ante-bellum buildings of the 1840s, to the modular buildings of the 1990s, The Evolution of the American Academic Library Building provides an interesting overview of the relationship between function and design-as well as librarian and architect-in the academic library.