Dr. Robert Wedgeworth edited the ALA World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services (later simply titled World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services in its final edition).
It was a major one-volume reference work on librarianship, library history, institutions, technologies, concepts, practices, research, education, and information services worldwide.
Dr. Robert Wedgeworth was ALA Executive Director from 1972–1985, later president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and a key figure in library education). He initiated and edited the work. He saw it as a way to provide a comprehensive overview of library programs and the profession, building on his earlier creation of the ALA Yearbook.
Publication History and Editions
- 1st edition (1980): Published by the American Library Association (ALA) in Chicago. Approximately xxii + 601 pages. It was the foundational volume.
- 2nd edition (1986): Also by ALA (with a co-publisher in London: Adamantine Press). xxv + 895 pages. Expanded and updated.
- 3rd edition (1993): Retitled World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services (still under ALA). xvii + 905 pages (hardcover). This was a substantial revision, updated through about 1990, with roughly 70% new or revised content overall. It remains the final edition.
The book has not seen further editions since 1993 and is now considered a historical reference.
Content and Scope
The encyclopedia aimed to be a global, authoritative overview in a single volume—something between a dictionary and a multi-volume set like the separate Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences. It features hundreds of signed articles (around 500 in the 3rd edition, written by roughly 300–437 international contributors) with bibliographies, an index, and illustrations (hundreds of black-and-white photos, plus a new 16-page color portfolio in the 3rd edition highlighting major libraries).
Key features included:
- Nation-by-nation surveys: About 160 articles on libraries and librarianship in individual countries, each often including statistical tables on library types, collections, staff, and population served. These were praised as informative, authoritative, and (for their time) up-to-date.
- General and thematic articles: Coverage of principles/practices of library and information services, education and research, historical/theoretical overviews, organizations, technologies, concepts, procedures, and institutions.
- Biographies: Around 216 entries on key individuals (living and deceased).
- Institutions and organizations: Profiles of major libraries (e.g., new entries in the 3rd ed. on the New York Public Library, Library of Congress, Bibliothèque Nationale, Harvard University Libraries, and British Library) and international bodies.
- Practical and emerging topics: Articles on topics like bibliographic instruction, electronic data sources, rare books, audiovisual materials, archives, and reprography.
It was designed for accessibility—lucid and succinct writing aimed at a general professional audience, library schools, large libraries, and practitioners needing a broad reference.