Understanding Special Libraries and Documentation Use

The question asks to identify the person who stated that special libraries should make significantly more use of documentation compared to general libraries. This statement highlights a key characteristic and operational difference between special libraries and general libraries, emphasizing the unique needs and functions of special libraries in handling specialized information.

Identifying the Speaker

The statement, "The special library must, for instance, make much more use of what has come to be known as documentation than the general library," is attributed to a significant figure in the development of special libraries in the United States.

Upon reviewing the history of library science, particularly the origins and philosophy of special libraries, it is widely recognized that this particular quote was made by Aksel G.S. Josephson.

Why Aksel G.S. Josephson?

Aksel G.S. Josephson (1860–1944) was a Swedish-American librarian who played a crucial role in the early conceptualization and promotion of special libraries. He was associated with the John Crerar Library in Chicago and was a key figure in the formation of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) in 1909. His writings and speeches often focused on the distinct nature and purpose of special libraries, advocating for methods and resources tailored to serving specific professional or organizational user groups with highly specialized information needs. His emphasis on "documentation" reflected the growing need for systematic collection, organization, and retrieval of diverse information formats beyond traditional books, which was particularly relevant for the specific subject areas covered by special libraries.

Comparing Library Types

The quote points out a fundamental difference:

• General Libraries: Serve a broad community with diverse interests. Their collections are typically wide-ranging, including books, periodicals, and media aimed at general knowledge, education, and recreation. While they use documentation (like indexes, abstracts), the depth and intensity of use might differ.
• Special Libraries: Serve a specific group of users (e.g., researchers, professionals in a company, members of an organization) with focused, often highly technical or specialized information needs. They rely heavily on precise and timely access to specific documents, reports, articles, data sets, and other forms of "documentation" that are critical for decision-making, research, or professional practice. This requires advanced methods of organization, retrieval, and dissemination, aligning with the principles of documentation.

Josephson's statement underscored that special libraries, by their very nature and mission, must embrace and extensively utilize documentation techniques to effectively serve their specialized clientele.

Analysis of Other Options

• Paul Otlet: A Belgian lawyer and bibliographer, known as a pioneer of documentation and information science. He developed the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) and envisioned a global network of documentation. While central to the concept of documentation, this specific quote about special libraries vs. general libraries is not attributed to him.
• Richard H. Johnson: A prominent figure in modern special librarianship, focusing on strategic planning and management in special libraries. His work is significant but much later than the foundational period when special libraries were first being clearly defined and contrasted with general libraries.
• John Cotton Dana: An influential American librarian, also considered a founder of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and a key advocate for public libraries and their role in serving business and community needs. While a contemporary of Josephson and important in the special library movement, this specific quote is not typically attributed to Dana.

Therefore, based on historical records and attributions in library science literature, the statement is correctly attributed to Aksel G.S. Josephson.

Revision Table: Key Concepts in Library Science

Additional Information: The Rise of Documentation

The concept of "documentation" gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, partly in response to the explosion of published information beyond traditional books, such as scientific articles, technical reports, patents, and conference proceedings. This era saw figures like Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine in Europe laying theoretical groundwork for organizing and accessing this vast body of information. In the United States, pioneers like Aksel G.S. Josephson recognized that libraries serving specialized fields (like science, technology, or business) needed new methods and a greater focus on these non-book materials, which fell under the umbrella of documentation. Special libraries were seen as the ideal institutions to develop expertise in handling this type of information effectively for their specific user groups, distinguishing them from general libraries primarily focused on broader collections.

Josephson's quote is significant because it articulated early on the functional imperative for special libraries to adopt documentation practices more rigorously than general libraries to fulfill their specialized mission.