author
Charles A. (Charles Ammi) Cutter
1837–1903
A pioneer of modern librarianship, he helped transform how libraries organize and share knowledge. His card catalog work, classification ideas, and famous Cutter numbers shaped library practice long after his lifetime.
1 Audiobook
Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue U. S. Bureau of Education Special Report on Public Libraries—Part II, Third Edition
by Charles A. (Charles Ammi) Cutter
About the author
Born in Boston in 1837, Charles Ammi Cutter became one of the most influential American librarians of the nineteenth century. While connected with Harvard, he helped create what is widely described as America's first public card catalog, an important step toward making collections easier for readers to use.
Cutter later served as librarian of the Boston Athenæum for many years and went on to become the first director of Forbes Library in Northampton, Massachusetts. He is best known for developing the Cutter Expansive Classification system and for the "Cutter numbers" still used in library cataloging and call numbers.
He died in 1903 before finishing his full classification scheme, but his ideas had a lasting impact. His work focused on a simple goal that still feels modern today: helping people find the books they need quickly and sensibly.