The origin of library instruction in the United States, 1820–1900

The origins of present-day instructional practices can be found in a dedication to “personal assistance” that emerged relatively early in the minds of American librarians. Bibliographic and information skills initiatives that have evolved into information literacy programs of today have roots in traditions dating back more than two centuries. Scholarship evolved from an amateur's avocation to a full-time profession in the nineteenth century. The result was an increased regard for the importance of libraries to the progress of scholarship. It was not until after the new spirit and method emerging at midcentury transformed the library into a tool for scholarship that the concept of library instruction could evolve.