author
Justin Winsor
1831–1897
A pioneering American librarian and historian, he helped shape modern library work while writing deeply researched books on early America. His career linked the Boston Public Library, Harvard, and the early professional organizations that defined the field.
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About the author
Born in Boston on January 2, 1831, Justin Winsor became one of the most influential librarians in 19th-century America. He also wrote history, with a special interest in the early exploration and settlement of North America, and his work became known for its strong bibliographical and map-based approach.
Winsor served as superintendent of the Boston Public Library from 1868 to 1877 and then as librarian of Harvard University from 1877 until his death in 1897. Reference works describe him as a leading figure in the American library profession, and he was also the first president of the American Library Association.
Alongside his library work, he edited major historical publications, including the multi-volume Narrative and Critical History of America, and wrote books such as The Westward Movement. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 22, 1897, leaving a reputation for combining careful scholarship with a practical vision of what libraries could be.