Alice B. Kroeger
Alice B. Kroeger | |
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| Born | May 2, 1864  St. Louis |
| Died | October 31, 1909 (aged 45) Philadelphia |
| Occupation | Librarian |
Alice Bertha Kroeger (May 2, 1864 – October 31, 1909)[1] 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.[2]
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.[1] She graduated in July 1891 and received her diploma "with honor".[3]
Career
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.[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]
She lectured at the University of Pennsylvania.[1]
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 "neruasthenia or pernicious anemia." Her death came as a surprise to the greater library community.[3]
Publications
References
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ "Images of Alice B. Kroeger, 1864-1909". Drexel University. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Grotzinger, Laurel A. (1978). "Kroeger, Alice Bertha". In Wynar, Bohdan S. (ed.). Dictionary of American Library Biography. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 295–98.
- ^ 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.
External links
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