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{{infobox person/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL|dateformat=mdy}}
{{infobox person/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL|dateformat=mdy}}


'''Alice Bertha Kroeger''' (May 2, 1864 &ndash; October 31, 1909)<ref name="anb">{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Mary Ellen |url=https://archive.org/details/americannational12garr/ |title=American National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |editor-last=Garraty |editor-first=John A. |volume=12 |pages=930-31 |chapter=Kroeger, Alice Bertha |editor-last2=Carnes |editor-first2=Mark C. |url-access=registration}}</ref> was an American [[librarian]] and educator. Kroeger was a student of [[Melvil Dewey]]. She founded the library science program at [[Drexel University]] in 1892 and directed the program until her death in 1909.<ref>{{cite web|title=Images of Alice B. Kroeger, 1864-1909 |url=http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ces462/BPM/service/alicekroegerimages.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307070210/http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ces462/BPM/service/alicekroegerimages.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2016 |publisher=Drexel University |accessdate=5 March 2016 }}</ref>
'''Alice Bertha Kroeger''' (May 2, 1864 &ndash; October 31, 1909) was an American [[librarian]], educator, and author. A student of [[Melvil Dewey]], she founded the third library school in the United States at [[Drexel University]] in 1892 and served as its director until her death in 1909. She published the ''Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books'' in 1902 which, over the course of its eleven print editions, was the foremost guide to reference sources in the United States throughout the 20th century.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Edward |first=McDonald |url=https://archive.org/details/drexelinstituteo011775mbp/ |title=Drexel Institute of Technology: 1891-1941 |last2=Hinton |first2=Edward M. |date=1942 |location=Philadelphia |pages=213-15}}</ref>


== Early life and education ==
== Early life and education ==
Alice Bertha Kroeger was born on May 2, 1864 in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] to [[Adolph Ernst Kroeger]] and Eliza Bertha Curren. After graduating from St. Louis public schools in 1881 she took a job as a clerk in the [[St. Louis Public Library]]. She worked for the [[St. Louis Public Library]] from 1882 to 1889 under [[Frederick M. Crunden]]. At the 1889 meeting of the [[American Library Association]] in St. Louis, Kroeger was recognized by noted librarian [[Charles Ammi Cutter]] who conveyed her suggestions about the relationship between cataloging and public service. That year, she enrolled in the [[New York State Library School at Albany]], where she studied under [[Melvil Dewey]]. She left school briefly in 1890 to accept a cataloging position at the St. Louis Public Library, but she returned to school the next year.<ref name="anb" /> She graduated in July 1891 and received her diploma "with honor".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Grotzinger |first=Laurel A. |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer0000unse_b0u1 |title=Dictionary of American Library Biography |date=1978 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |editor-last=Wynar |editor-first=Bohdan S. |pages=295-98 |chapter=Kroeger, Alice Bertha |url-access=registration}}</ref>
Alice Bertha Kroeger was born on May 2, 1864 in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] to [[Adolph Ernst Kroeger]] and Eliza Bertha Curren. After graduating from St. Louis public schools in 1881 she took a job as a clerk in the [[St. Louis Public Library]]. She worked for the [[St. Louis Public Library]] from 1882 to 1889 under [[Frederick M. Crunden]]. At the 1889 meeting of the [[American Library Association]] in St. Louis, Kroeger was recognized by noted librarian [[Charles Ammi Cutter]] who conveyed her suggestions about the relationship between cataloging and public service. That year, she enrolled in the [[New York State Library School at Albany]], where she studied under [[Melvil Dewey]]. She left school briefly in 1890 to accept a cataloging position at the St. Louis Public Library, but she returned to school the next year.<ref name="anb">{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Mary Ellen |url=https://archive.org/details/americannational12garr/ |title=American National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |editor-last=Garraty |editor-first=John A. |volume=12 |pages=930-31 |chapter=Kroeger, Alice Bertha |editor-last2=Carnes |editor-first2=Mark C. |url-access=registration}}</ref> She graduated in July 1891 and received her diploma "with honor".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Grotzinger |first=Laurel A. |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer0000unse_b0u1 |title=Dictionary of American Library Biography |date=1978 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |editor-last=Wynar |editor-first=Bohdan S. |pages=295-98 |chapter=Kroeger, Alice Bertha |url-access=registration}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
In 1891, [[James A. MacAlister|James MacAlister,]] president of the newly established [[Drexel University|Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry]], asked Melvil Dewey to recommend a librarian for the institute. Dewey named Kroeger as his first choice. In the fall of 1892, Kroeger founded a library school at Drexel, the third in the United States. The school's curriculum was modeled after Dewey's and included rigorous entrance examinations. Kroeger served as the school's director and as an instructor for the next 17 years until her death.<ref name=":0" />
In 1891, [[James A. MacAlister|James MacAlister]], president of the newly established [[Drexel University|Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry]], asked Melvil Dewey to recommend a librarian for the institute. Dewey named Kroeger as his first choice. In the fall of 1892, Kroeger founded a library school at Drexel, the third in the United States. The school's curriculum was modeled after Dewey's and included rigorous entrance examinations. Kroeger served as the school's director and as an instructor for the next 17 years until her death.<ref name=":0" />


In 1902, Kroeger published the ''[[Guide to Reference|Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books: A Manual for Librarians, Teachers and Students]]'' (American Library Association) which quickly became the definitive list of reference titles in the field. A second edition was published in 1908, increasing the number of included titles from 800 to 1200.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=John V. |title=Knowledge-based systems for general reference work: applications, problems, and progress |date=1995 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-588460-0 |series=Library and information science |location=San Diego |pages=6-7}}</ref>
In 1902, Kroeger published the ''[[Guide to Reference|Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books: A Manual for Librarians, Teachers and Students]]'' (American Library Association) which quickly became the definitive list of reference titles in the field. A second edition was published in 1908, increasing the number of included titles from 800 to 1200.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=John V. |title=Knowledge-based systems for general reference work: applications, problems, and progress |date=1995 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-588460-0 |series=Library and information science |location=San Diego |pages=6-7}}</ref>


Kroeger was an active and early member of the American Library Association (ALA). In 1889, she became member number 728. She served on the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Library Club and was elected vice-president from 1895 to 1896. She lectured at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] on the subject of bibliography. She served on the ALA Committee on Library Training along with four other library school directors trained by Dewey. In 1907, she was elected a fellow of the [[American Library Institute]]. In 1908, she was elected chairman of the Catalog Section of the ALA and also served on the ALA Council as recorder.<ref name="anb" /><ref name=":0" />
Kroeger was an active and early member of the American Library Association (ALA). In 1889, she became member number 728. She served on the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Library Club and was elected vice-president from 1895 to 1896. She lectured at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] on the subject of bibliography. She served on the ALA Committee on Library Training along with four other library school directors trained by Dewey. In 1907, she was elected a fellow of the [[American Library Institute]]. In 1908, she was elected chairman of the Catalog Section of the ALA and also served on the ALA Council as recorder.<ref name="anb" /><ref name=":0" />

In 1908, with Sarah W Cottell, Kroeger published ''Aids to Book Selection'' for the ALA Library Handbook series, an updated and expanded version of a pamphlet originally published by the Pennsylvania Free Library Commission in 1903.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lynch |first=Mary Jo |title=Women in the Library Profession: Leadership Roles and Contributions |date=1971 |publisher=University of Michigan School of Library Science |editor-last=University of Michigan School of Library Science |pages=20-23 |chapter=Women in Reference Service |oclc=905022}}</ref>


== Death and legacy ==
== Death and legacy ==
Cheney was long suspected of neglecting her health for her professional obligations. She died on October 31, 1909, at the age of 45, due to "[[Neurasthenia|neruasthenia]] or [[pernicious anemia]]." Her death came as a surprise to the greater library community.<ref name=":0" />
Cheney was long suspected of neglecting her health for her professional obligations. She died on October 31, 1909, at the age of 45, due to "[[Neurasthenia|neruasthenia]] or [[pernicious anemia]]." Her death came as a surprise to the greater library community.<ref name=":0" />

In 1925, the library school at the Drexel Institute established the Alice B. Kroeger Memorial Scholarship.<ref name=":1" />


Kroeger's genre-defining ''Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books'' would continue under the editorship of [[Isadore Gilbert Mudge|Isadore Mudge]] in 1917 as the ''Guide to Reference Books''. The ''Guide'' would see eleven print editions and five chief editors over the next seventy-five years, becoming known as "''the'' premier compendium of reference materials for North American libraries."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Stuart W. |url=https://archive.org/details/DistinguishedClassicsOfReferencePublishing |title=Distinguished Classics of Reference Publishing |date=1992 |publisher=The Oryx Press |isbn=0897746406 |editor-last=Rettig |editor-first=James |pages=129-137 |chapter="Monument": ''Guide to Reference Books'' |url-access=}}</ref>
Kroeger's genre-defining ''Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books'' would continue under the editorship of [[Isadore Gilbert Mudge|Isadore Mudge]] in 1917 as the ''Guide to Reference Books''. The ''Guide'' would see eleven print editions and five chief editors over the next seventy-five years, becoming known as "''the'' premier compendium of reference materials for North American libraries."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Stuart W. |url=https://archive.org/details/DistinguishedClassicsOfReferencePublishing |title=Distinguished Classics of Reference Publishing |date=1992 |publisher=The Oryx Press |isbn=0897746406 |editor-last=Rettig |editor-first=James |pages=129-137 |chapter="Monument": ''Guide to Reference Books'' |url-access=}}</ref>
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{cite web|title=Images of Alice B. Kroeger, 1864-1909 |url=http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ces462/BPM/service/alicekroegerimages.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307070210/http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ces462/BPM/service/alicekroegerimages.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2016 |publisher=Drexel University |accessdate=5 March 2016 }}
*[http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2006069423/ WorldCat]

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{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:American women librarians]]
[[Category:American women librarians]]
[[Category:New York State Library School alumni]]
[[Category:New York State Library School alumni]]

{{library-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 22:28, 2 December 2024

Alice B. Kroeger
BornMay 2, 1864 Edit this on Wikidata
St. Louis Edit this on Wikidata
DiedOctober 31, 1909 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 45)
Philadelphia Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationLibrarian Edit this on Wikidata

Alice Bertha Kroeger (May 2, 1864 – October 31, 1909) was an American librarian, educator, and author. A student of Melvil Dewey, she founded the third library school in the United States at Drexel University in 1892 and served as its director until her death in 1909. She published the Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books in 1902 which, over the course of its eleven print editions, was the foremost guide to reference sources in the United States throughout the 20th century.[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Alice Bertha Kroeger was born on May 2, 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri to Adolph Ernst Kroeger and Eliza Bertha Curren. After graduating from St. Louis public schools in 1881 she took a job as a clerk in the St. Louis Public Library. She worked for the St. Louis Public Library from 1882 to 1889 under Frederick M. Crunden. At the 1889 meeting of the American Library Association in St. Louis, Kroeger was recognized by noted librarian Charles Ammi Cutter who conveyed her suggestions about the relationship between cataloging and public service. That year, she enrolled in the New York State Library School at Albany, where she studied under Melvil Dewey. She left school briefly in 1890 to accept a cataloging position at the St. Louis Public Library, but she returned to school the next year.[2] She graduated in July 1891 and received her diploma "with honor".[3]

Career

[edit]

In 1891, James MacAlister, president of the newly established Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, asked Melvil Dewey to recommend a librarian for the institute. Dewey named Kroeger as his first choice. In the fall of 1892, Kroeger founded a library school at Drexel, the third in the United States. The school's curriculum was modeled after Dewey's and included rigorous entrance examinations. Kroeger served as the school's director and as an instructor for the next 17 years until her death.[3]

In 1902, Kroeger published the Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books: A Manual for Librarians, Teachers and Students (American Library Association) which quickly became the definitive list of reference titles in the field. A second edition was published in 1908, increasing the number of included titles from 800 to 1200.[4]

Kroeger was an active and early member of the American Library Association (ALA). In 1889, she became member number 728. She served on the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Library Club and was elected vice-president from 1895 to 1896. She lectured at the University of Pennsylvania on the subject of bibliography. She served on the ALA Committee on Library Training along with four other library school directors trained by Dewey. In 1907, she was elected a fellow of the American Library Institute. In 1908, she was elected chairman of the Catalog Section of the ALA and also served on the ALA Council as recorder.[2][3]

In 1908, with Sarah W Cottell, Kroeger published Aids to Book Selection for the ALA Library Handbook series, an updated and expanded version of a pamphlet originally published by the Pennsylvania Free Library Commission in 1903.[5]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Cheney was long suspected of neglecting her health for her professional obligations. She died on October 31, 1909, at the age of 45, due to "neruasthenia or pernicious anemia." Her death came as a surprise to the greater library community.[3]

In 1925, the library school at the Drexel Institute established the Alice B. Kroeger Memorial Scholarship.[1]

Kroeger's genre-defining Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books would continue under the editorship of Isadore Mudge in 1917 as the Guide to Reference Books. The Guide would see eleven print editions and five chief editors over the next seventy-five years, becoming known as "the premier compendium of reference materials for North American libraries."[6]

Publications

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Edward, McDonald; Hinton, Edward M. (1942). Drexel Institute of Technology: 1891-1941. Philadelphia. pp. 213–15.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b Collins, Mary Ellen (1999). "Kroeger, Alice Bertha". In Garraty, John A.; Carnes, Mark C. (eds.). American National Biography. Vol. 12. Oxford University Press. pp. 930–31.
  3. ^ a b c d Grotzinger, Laurel A. (1978). "Kroeger, Alice Bertha". In Wynar, Bohdan S. (ed.). Dictionary of American Library Biography. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 295–98.
  4. ^ Richardson, John V. (1995). Knowledge-based systems for general reference work: applications, problems, and progress. Library and information science. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-0-12-588460-0.
  5. ^ Lynch, Mary Jo (1971). "Women in Reference Service". In University of Michigan School of Library Science (ed.). Women in the Library Profession: Leadership Roles and Contributions. University of Michigan School of Library Science. pp. 20–23. OCLC 905022.
  6. ^ Miller, Stuart W. (1992). ""Monument": Guide to Reference Books". In Rettig, James (ed.). Distinguished Classics of Reference Publishing. The Oryx Press. pp. 129–137. ISBN 0897746406.
[edit]