Portal:Library and information science/Selected biography/1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melvil Dewey (December 10, 1851–December 26, 1931) was the inventor of the Dewey Decimal Classification system for library classification.
In 1883 he became librarian of Columbia College, and in the following year founded the Columbia School of Library Economy, the first-ever institution organized for the instruction of librarians. This school, which was very successful, was removed to Albany, New York in 1890, where it was reestablished as the New York State Library School under his direction. From 1888 to 1906, he was director of the New York State Library and from 1888 to 1900 was secretary of the University of the State of New York, completely reorganizing the state library and making it one of the most efficient in America, as well as establishing the system of state traveling libraries and picture collections. In 1890 he helped to found the first state library association - the New York Library Association (NYLA) - and he was its first president, from 1890-1892.
