The Richtungstreit: The Philosophy of Public Librarianship in Germany before 1933

The Richtungstreit is the name given to the disagreement that dominated German public librarianship from approximately 1910 to 1933. At its center was the fundamental question, what is the purpose of the public library? The Alte Richtung, led by Erwin Ackerknecht and including Eugen Sulz and Paul Ladewig, and the Neue Richtung, synonymous with Walter Hofmann, approached this question from different perspectives. Argument focused on such issues as the goals of education, the scope of the book collection, the definition of a "good" book, the role of readers' advising, and whom the library should serve.