Title: The Great Depression
First published: 1975
Description: This 1975 dissertation used content analysis to study the impact of the Great Depression on large American public libraries from 1930 to 1940. Areas studied were the depression’s effect on library internal operations, library services, and library directors’ attitudes toward the libraries and the public. Particular attention is paid to the depression-related ideas of the thirteen directors who contributed the largest amount of material to the universe.

In general, the study found that (1) the depression affected library services, operations, and policies; (2) library directors adjusted services, operations, and policies to meet changing conditions and adapt to fluctuating revenues; and (3) to a limited extent, that library-oriented activities of the state and federal governments elicited director reactions. 

The study concluded that measurable relationships could be found between economic data, library statistics, and director discussions.
Subjects: Public libraries, Depressions
Places: United States
Time periods: 1929