Isadore Gilbert Mudge

Isadore Gilbert Mudge

Isadore Gilbert Mudge (born March 14, 1975 – died May 16, 1957) deserves the thanks of all reference librarians for not only defining what a contemporary reference librarian is, but also helping organize and promote reference books for all libraries. 2

Around 1927 she began working as an associate professor at Columbia’s new School of Library Services, teaching Bibliography and Bibliographic Methods.2 It was teaching this class she coined her phrase “material, mind and method”.2 She believed reference librarians should know the materials they dealt with, be intelligent with a high quality memory and be able to answer questions in a clear way including the source of material they were using. All three items still apply to what reference librarians do today but on a much grander scale. It is hard to imagine what resources a librarian had in 1927 versus what are at most librarian’s fingertips today. Of all of her writings she never wrote about these thoughts, but one of her students published an article in a 1937 Library Journal sharing these ideas with the rest of the world.2 “Reviewing Mudge’s career at Columbia, Constance A. Winchell, Mudge’s protégé, said: ‘Probably no other one person has contributed so much to the raising the standards of reference collections and reference services in the libraries of this and other countries.’ ”2

Author

Around the time Mudge came to Columbia the American Library Association asked her to update Guide to Reference Works, which was desperately needing a supplement to go along with the original edition.2 She edited the guide through four editions over 20 years.5 This was an important book at that time especially to show new librarians what resources were out there. This is what she is best known for and was probably the reason behind some of her ideals and thoughts she taught while teaching both students and other librarians. She also wrote articles for the Library Journal, worked on editing and creating bibliographies, dictionaries and other reference materials. Quite often her writings were assisted by Minnie Earle Sears, a colleague and companion.5 Some of her writing are still found at Columbia University.2

Summary

The only biography that exists of Isadore Gilbert Mudge is actually a dissertation written by Columbia Student, John N. Waddell, in 1973.2 In one portion he sums up what were her ideals, “Mudge’s professional concerns were not confined to the Columbia reference department….She was constantly concerned with the problems and tools bibliographical control in the widest possible area….but herself preached the gospel of cooperative bibliographic at home and abroad, by pen and by tongue.”4

Legacy

Every year since 1958, the Gale Cengage Learning, a division of the American Library Association, sponsors the Isadore Gilbert Award. The recipient is someone who has made a difference in reference librarianship that year. The chosen winner receives $5,000 and a citation.

References

1.

2. Dr. John V. Richardson, Jr., Professor (March 1999) Mudge, Isadore Gilbert; American National Biography Retrieved from http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/jrichardson/dis245/IMUDGE.HTM

3. Albert Nelson Marquis (Ed.) (1931) Who’s Who In America, Vol. 16, 1930-1931

4. Allan Kent, Harold Lancour & Jay E. Dailey (Ed.) (1978). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, Vol. 25, 203-204. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=l8mIFaw53JUC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=career+of+Isadore+Gilbert+Mudge&source=bl&ots=tUboOVplM4&sig=U2RdRBcVeohnYpeaX3wrbXFOol8&hl=en&ei=Qiu1Sr7IL5LcNc330doO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=snippet&q=Isadore%20Gilbert%20Mudge&f=false

5. John S. Bowman (1995) The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography; Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mudge,+Isadore+Gilbert