Joseph L. Wheeler

Joseph Lewis Wheeler (March 16, 1884 - December 3, 1970)^[1] was an American librarian and was Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland from 1926 to 1945.

Wheeler served as Director of the Youngstown Public Library from 1916 to 1926.^[2] In 1917, Wheeler took a leave of absence from Youngstown Public Library to work in the Library War Service managing 32 camp libraries.^[3]

In Baltimore, Wheeler transformed many of the Library's services including boosting the library's visibility in the community, expanding the holdings in business, science and fine arts, and placing reference books on open shelves so the public could help themselves to information.^[4]

In 1999, Wheeler was named as one of 100 American librarians who made a lasting impact on library service and the nation.^[5]

Publications

• "Practical Administration of Public Libraries" (Harper & Row, 1962) co-author with Herbert Goldhor
• "The effective location of public library buildings" (University of Illinois Library School, 1958)
• "Progress of Problems in Education for Librarianship" (1946)
• "The American public library building: its planning and design with special reference to its administration and service" co-author with Alfred Morton Githens (C. Scribner's Sons, 1941)
• "The library and the community; increased book service through library publicity based on community studies" (American Library Association, 1924)
• "Your job back home; a book for men leaving the service" (American Library Association, 1919)

References