Guardians of Medical Knowledge: The Genesis of the Medical Library Association.

Contrary to what readers may assume from the title, this book does not recount a traditional chronological history of the Medical Library Association (MLA), but instead “examines the spirit of the medical library movement and the ideas that shaped the occupation of medical librarianship in the first half of the twentieth century” (p. viii). In response to those who expect an institutional history to focus on—in the words of Martin Cummings—“books, buildings, bodies, and bucks” [1], the author promises for the future a parallel text on professionalization in medical librarianship with the working title, Purveyors of Medical Knowledge. Connor has written a history of ideas and a social history of the milieu out of which MLA grew. She indicates ways the origins of the organization in medicine have continued to distinguish medical librarians as a culture separate from the larger profession of librarianship. Initially named the Association of Medical Librarians, the association was established in 1898 and took its pres-ent name after 1907. It was a medical society run entirely by physicians, begun in an effort to upgrade medical collections through an exchange of duplicate medical literature.

The book is organized in six chapters with additional introductory and concluding chapters. Chapter one describes how the function of medical libraries changed from a place for book storage to “laboratories in which physicians could examine the latest in medical thought” (p. 34). In this context, Connor examines the enduring influence on medical librarianship of John Shaw Billings, who developed the Army Medical Library in the Surgeon General's Office into the National Library of Medicine. The second chapter recounts the activities of two physicians, George N. Gould and C. D. Spivak, who both sought independently to develop a plan for the exchange of duplicate publications “to bring order to the chaos of proliferating medical literature” (p. 37). The next chapter expands on Gould's contributions as founder and first president of MLA. Chapters four and five detail William Osler's powerful impact, initially as second president of the association and later through friends, colleagues, students, and relatives. Osler steered the association toward historical study to elevate the medical profession and thereby formed the new field of history of medicine. This emphasis persisted until after World War II, when medicine, medical librarianship, and history of medicine began to go their own ways. Chapter six discusses three prominent nonmedical members of the association, librarians Margaret Charlton, Marcia Noyes, and Grace Myers.

This reviewer found Connor's study quite engaging and was personally surprised to learn how involved Osler had been with the details surrounding the beginnings of MLA. The author presented her extensive research and carefully documented everything without making readers feel overwhelmed by the apparatus of scholarship. A bibliographic essay that offers a broader range of studies for further consideration complements the references identifying specific sources. Appropriate use of illustrations and summary tables enhance the text. This publication should find a valued place in medical libraries in general and history of medicine collections in particular and is highly recommended.