TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– ASLIB – the Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux – was founded in 1924 with the aim of co‐ordinating the activities of specialist information services in the UK. This article seeks to present a new history of the first quarter‐century of the Association.Design/methodology/approach– This is a historical study based substantially on two collections of primary documents: ASLIB's own records, held at Aslib Headquarters, London; and the papers of Edith Ditmas, held at the National Library of Wales.Findings– The paper explores the origins of ASLIB, and its roots in the “science lobby” of the time; it then traces the development of ASLIB as both a “national intelligence service” for science, commerce and industry, and as a quasi‐professional association with international significance. It concludes that the first of these two functions was the Association's fundamental raison d'être.Research limitations/implications– The research is limited to study of ASLIB in the period 1924‐1950 and an obvious continuation would be a history of “corporate” ASLIB (1950‐1997). More generally, the paper reveals that the history of UK documentation and information science in the twentieth century is underexplored: there is scope for future research focused on key pioneers and ideas, as well as institutions such as ASLIB.Originality/value– As far as is known, this is the first historical study of ASLIB to be based on contemporary records: it should therefore be of value to both historians of information and library science and practitioners interested in their professional heritage.
VL  - 61
IS  - 3
SN  - 0022-0418
DO  - 10.1108/00220410510598553
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410510598553
AU  - Muddiman Dave
PY  - 2005
Y1  - 2005/01/01
TI  - A new history of ASLIB, 1924‐1950
T2  - Journal of Documentation
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 402
EP  - 428
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -