Charles Evans (librarian)
Encyclopedia
Charles Evans is named one of American Libraries
' 100 most important library and information science
leaders of the 20th century. An American librarian and bibliographer
, Evans is most well known as the bibliographer and compiler of the first 12 volumes of his book, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets, and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America from the Genesis of Printing in 1639 Down to and Including the Year 1830, with Bibliographical and Biographical Notes. He was also a founder of the American Library Association
along with Melvil Dewey
.
. Evans was so grateful for the education he received here, that decades later he donated two volumes of his American Bibliography to the school, being quoted as saying that because of the Boston Asylum and Farm School, he came to value and live by “obedience, fidelity, individual character and industry. Possessed of these, there is nothing which may not be obtained in life”.
– a trustee of the Boston Athenaeum - at the Boston Asylum and Farm School, and made such an impression on him that by the time Evans turned 16, on June 12, 1866, Eliot had hired him as assistant librarian at the Boston Athenaeum . It was here that Evans met William Frederick Poole
, the librarian who would make the biggest impact on Evans’ life when it came to his knowledge and appreciation for the organization and classification in libraries. Years later into his career, Evans would recommend Poole join the American Library Association
.
) for publicly disagreeing with the board’s plans to open a new building, which Evans believed would too-soon be congested with an influx of books. In 1901, Evans was dismissed from his post as librarian at the McCormick Theological Seminary
in Chicago due to his quarreling over which classification to use – the committee wished to use Charles Cutter’s system (which organized books by subject), while Evans demanded that they use the classification system he was both used to and fond of. Around the same time, Evans compiled his Charter, Constitution, By-laws, Roll of Membership, MDCCCLVI-MDCCCCI: List of Officers and Members, MDCCCCI (Chicago, 1901, printed for the society) with several glaring factual errors, but when he refused to republish it correctly, they fired him.
of the Dewey Decimal Classification
system, co-founded the American Library Association
. Evans recommended other integral members - renowned librarians he'd met along the way - to become a part of the association. These members then came together at a conference held in Philadelphia, where Evans would give a speech on his "The Sizes of Printed Books" paper, which was published in ALA's first volume of the Library Journal
. In 1877, he became the American Library Association
’s first treasurer
. Evans continued to contribute to the Library Journal.
Evans was also actively involved in both Library Journal
and Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society
, and he was known to write for them from time to time, as well..
The entire Evans Collection was eventually photographed and put onto microfilm, and is available at many research libraries. A fully searchable digital edition titled Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1980 is available from Readex
, as part of its Archive of Americana.
American Libraries
American Libraries is the official news and features magazine of the American Library Association. Published six times per year, along with four additional digital-only supplements, it is distributed to all members of the organization...
' 100 most important library and information science
Library and information science
Library and information science is a merging of the two fields library science and information science...
leaders of the 20th century. An American librarian and bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
, Evans is most well known as the bibliographer and compiler of the first 12 volumes of his book, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets, and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America from the Genesis of Printing in 1639 Down to and Including the Year 1830, with Bibliographical and Biographical Notes. He was also a founder of the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
along with Melvil Dewey
Melvil Dewey
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was an American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, and a founder of the Lake Placid Club....
.
Early life
The son of Irish immigrants Charles Peter and Mary Ewing Evans, Evans was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 13, 1850. Evans' parents both died before he was ten years old, at which point Evans and eventually his older brother, Thomas John, were sent to live and study at the Boston Asylum and Farm School for Indigent Boys on Thompson IslandThompson Island (Massachusetts)
Thompson Island is an island in the Boston Harbor, some 4 miles offshore from downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The island is managed by the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, a non-profit education organization. The island is open to visitors on summer Sundays; otherwise access is by...
. Evans was so grateful for the education he received here, that decades later he donated two volumes of his American Bibliography to the school, being quoted as saying that because of the Boston Asylum and Farm School, he came to value and live by “obedience, fidelity, individual character and industry. Possessed of these, there is nothing which may not be obtained in life”.
Early stages of Evans' career
Evans studied under Samuel EliotSamuel Eliot
Samuel Eliot was a historian, educator, and public-minded citizen of Boston, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut.-Biography:...
– a trustee of the Boston Athenaeum - at the Boston Asylum and Farm School, and made such an impression on him that by the time Evans turned 16, on June 12, 1866, Eliot had hired him as assistant librarian at the Boston Athenaeum . It was here that Evans met William Frederick Poole
William Frederick Poole
William Frederick Poole was an American bibliographer and librarian.-Biography:He graduated from Yale University in 1849, where he assisted John Edmands, who was a student at the Brothers in Unity Library...
, the librarian who would make the biggest impact on Evans’ life when it came to his knowledge and appreciation for the organization and classification in libraries. Years later into his career, Evans would recommend Poole join the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
.
Career Timeline
- 1872-1878 Organizer and Librarian at the Indianapolis Public Library
- 1884-1887 Organizer and Assistant Librarian at the Enoch Pratt Free LibraryEnoch Pratt Free LibraryThe Enoch Pratt Free Library, located in Baltimore, Maryland, is one of the oldest free public libraries in the United States. Established in 1882 after a grant from philanthropist Enoch Pratt, the library now includes twenty-two branches in Baltimore, plus the Central Library...
in Baltimore, MD - 1887-1889 Organizer at the Omaha Public LibraryOmaha Public LibraryOmaha Public Library is a public library system for the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Originally founded in 1857, the library struggled for many years before formally forming in 1877. In 1895, the library became one of the first six in the nation to create a children's section...
- 1989-1892 Librarian at the Indianapolis Public Library
- 1892-1895 Classifier of the collections at the Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
in Chicago - 1895-1896 Organizer at the Virginia Library of the McCormick Theological SeminaryMcCormick Theological SeminaryMcCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
of Chicago - 1896-1901 Librarian at the Chicago Historical Society
Controversy surrounding Evans
Evans was known to oppose the relocation of libraries, and was more than once consequently asked to submit his resignation due to the fuss he caused. In 1892, he was fired from the Indianapolis Public Library (now known as the Indianapolis-Marion County Public LibraryIndianapolis-Marion County Public Library
The Indianapolis Public Library is the public library system that serves the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis...
) for publicly disagreeing with the board’s plans to open a new building, which Evans believed would too-soon be congested with an influx of books. In 1901, Evans was dismissed from his post as librarian at the McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
in Chicago due to his quarreling over which classification to use – the committee wished to use Charles Cutter’s system (which organized books by subject), while Evans demanded that they use the classification system he was both used to and fond of. Around the same time, Evans compiled his Charter, Constitution, By-laws, Roll of Membership, MDCCCLVI-MDCCCCI: List of Officers and Members, MDCCCCI (Chicago, 1901, printed for the society) with several glaring factual errors, but when he refused to republish it correctly, they fired him.
American Library Association
In 1876, Evans, along with Melvil DeweyMelvil Dewey
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was an American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, and a founder of the Lake Placid Club....
of the Dewey Decimal Classification
Dewey Decimal Classification
Dewey Decimal Classification, is a proprietary system of library classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876.It has been greatly modified and expanded through 23 major revisions, the most recent in 2011...
system, co-founded the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
. Evans recommended other integral members - renowned librarians he'd met along the way - to become a part of the association. These members then came together at a conference held in Philadelphia, where Evans would give a speech on his "The Sizes of Printed Books" paper, which was published in ALA's first volume of the Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
. In 1877, he became the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
’s first treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
. Evans continued to contribute to the Library Journal.
American Bibliography and Other Writings
Evans officially began working on American Bibliography - his lifelong goal - in 1901 and compiled it over a course of years through 1934. Publication took a few hiatuses during WWII in between volumes, but eventually, all desired volumes were published, including some that were published posthumously by outsiders eager to continue Evans' work, particularly Roger Bristol. The first volume was published by Evans himself and covered the span of 1639-1740. All succeeding volumes were published on borrowed money for both publication purposes and travel purposes, as Evans preferred to travel around the United States in order to actually see the books he was including in his work, though when he wasn’t able to travel, he was known to include “ghost” titles, as well as skip publications altogether due to the amount of space, and therefore money, they would take up in his printed book. It is said that American Bibliography lacks a proper representation of Harvard dissertations and broadsides .Evans was also actively involved in both Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
and Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society , located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century American History and culture. Its main building, known also as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark...
, and he was known to write for them from time to time, as well..
The entire Evans Collection was eventually photographed and put onto microfilm, and is available at many research libraries. A fully searchable digital edition titled Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1980 is available from Readex
Readex
Readex has published numerous collections of primary source research materials, first as Readex Microprint Corporation and since 1984 as a division of NewsBank....
, as part of its Archive of Americana.
Marriage and children
Evans married Lena Young, who supported and encouraged his work efforts, on April 8, 1883.- Gertrude, born in 1884
- Eliot Howland, born in 1886
- Charles Sumner, born in 1888, who became a well-known golfer later in life
- Constance Evans, born in 1889
Death
Charles and Lena remained married until her death on October 5, 1933. Charles Evans died of a stroke on February 8, 1935.Honors, awards and memberships
- 1910 Elected to American Antiquarian SocietyAmerican Antiquarian SocietyThe American Antiquarian Society , located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century American History and culture. Its main building, known also as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark...
- 1926 Elected to Colonial Society of MassachusettsColonial Society of MassachusettsThe Colonial Society of Massachusetts is a US non-profit educational foundation, founded in 1892, and established for the study of the history of Massachusetts. The period of study is from its settlement through the early nineteenth century. It is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship...
- 1933 Became honorary member of the American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
- 1934 Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
awarded him an honorary Doctor of LettersDoctor of LettersDoctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...