Who's Who in Library Service
The first Who’s Who reference work was published in 1849 as an index documenting upper class members of British society holding specific titles or offices. By the end of the 19th century, the original Who’s Who expanded in scope to include other noteworthy British citizens and transitioned to a biographical dictionary. As the present tense of the title suggests, individuals featured in the book are still living. A companion publication, Who Was Who, has also been published since 1897 to document individuals who had recently died. The original Who’s Who spawned an entire genre of biographical reference works, with publications covering topics, geographic areas, or professions. The Who’s Who title has also been used in scams or by less reputable publishers who seek payment for inclusion with little emphasis on importance or factuality. This version of Who’s Who is particularly self-referential, providing biographical entries on librarians and others active in the library field around 1933. On display is the entry on Howard Savoy Leach, who served as Lehigh’s librarian from 1925 to 1948.
Charles C. Williamson (1877-1965) and Alice L. Jewett (b. 1886)
Who's Who in Library Service. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1933.
Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/217595
A version of this text has been digitized and is available through Hathitrust.