Eric Moon
Encyclopedia
Eric Edward Moon is a librarian
and editor
who had a shaping influence on American librarianship in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s as editor-in-chief of Library Journal
, as President of the American Library Association
, and as chief editor at Scarecrow Press. Moon is a trailblazer and influential figure instrumental in transforming library professionalism, polity and social responsibility.
, England
, and spent most of his youth in Southampton
. After receiving his grammar (secondary) school certificate from then Taunton School, Moon was hired as a junior library assistant at the prestigious Southampton Public Library in 1939. The ambitious Moon pursued professional qualification by passing the Library Association's mastery examination. The Library Association is the United KIngdom's foremost library organization, and counterpart to the American Library Association (ALA). Moon soon began his military service in 1941, joining the Royal Air Force. Following his discharge in 1946 he pursued his professional education as a librarian, at the then Loughborough College
. While at Loughborough, Moon completed the rigorous requirements of advancement to the highest level of honor, FLA, Fellow of the Library Association. He began his professional career running small libraries in Hertfordshire
, at Finchley
, at Brentford and Chiswick
, and then at Kensington
, experimenting with novel ideas in library service through this period. Frustrated with the conservatism of British librarianship, in 1958 he took a job as head of public libraries in Newfoundland, Canada, where he worked for one year.
. The leadership of the R.R. Bowker company, Library Journal's publisher, saw in Moon a personality they hoped would revive the struggling magazine and take it in new directions. Library Journal's fame dated back to the late 19th century with Melvil Dewey serving as its founding editor from 1876-1881.
In his nine years as editor-in-chief, Moon changed Library Journal substantially, most noticeably by engaging the magazine in controversial issues and taking sides in the heated debates that characterized American librarianship during the period. Under Moon's editorship, Library Journal became known for its liberal, activist perspectives on the professional issues of the day. With Moon at the helm, Library Journal earned consistent profits from advertising revenues and sweeping interest marked by an increase in circulation. This change in direction was first defined by Moon's choice in 1960 to address racial segregation
in Southern
libraries, where African American
librarians were not allowed to work in "white" libraries or participate in the library associations of Southern states. Until Moon, no mainstream publications so much as acknowledged the discimination in library access. Moon soon realized that he needed support from black librarians to continue reporting accurately on activities in the South. Moon formed alliances with many, including Elonnie "E.J." Josey who was an African American librarian at Savannah State College (Savannah, Georgia). Moon, along with Josey and countless others, advanced the concern of free access and integration of libraries and professional library associations. The debate over racially segregated libraries divided the profession at that time, and Moon's activist position placed his Library Journal in the camp of those in the profession who advocated significant change.
Moon also tackled the largely protested Vietnam War. Moon's editorials continued to challenge the profession during the tumultuous 1960s. Likewise, Moon's credit includes Library Journal's treatment of censorship and book selection practices in libraries. This transformation made Library Journal popular reading for American librarians; by the mid-1960s the magazine was financially thriving. In 1965 Eric Moon was appointed to the Bowker Board of Directors.
In that year he also became a citizen of the United States.
. At Scarecrow, Moon rapidly increased the number of titles published per year, while introducing higher standards for editorial accuracy. (Scarecrow had been notorious for typographical errors in its books.) He also broadened the scope of the press beyond its traditional focus on library science
topics to include religion and music, just to name a few. In 1971, Moon became the company's president. Moon retired from Scarecrow Press in 1978.
Moon was much involved in the American Library Association (ALA) - its function, rules and policies throughout his American career. He had no qualms about criticizing the ALA, particularly regarding ALA's silence on the issue of racial prejudice and discrimination in libraries and library associations. By 1965, Moon was elected to the ALA Council. Moon ran for the office of Vice-President/President-Elect of the American Library Association as a petition candidate in 1976 and was elected. He was inaugurated in 1977. The major concern of his presidential year was to influence the development of a national information policy. Events in the profession during his term made it difficult to arouse strong interest in this goal within the association, whose leaders mostly lacked prior experience in the policy arena to begin with. Following his presidential year, Moon continued to influence ALA politics as a member of its governing Council and various committees into the mid-1990s.
In 1987, Moon received ALA's top award, Honorary Membership. In 2000, Moon was bestowed the highest honor by the British library profession, the coveted Honorary Fellowship, awarded by the Library Association.
Eric Moon is presently retired and living in Sarasota, Florida
with his wife Ilse, who is also a retired librarian.
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
who had a shaping influence on American librarianship in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s as editor-in-chief of Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, as President of the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
, and as chief editor at Scarecrow Press. Moon is a trailblazer and influential figure instrumental in transforming library professionalism, polity and social responsibility.
Early life
Eric Moon was born on March 6, 1923 in YeovilYeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and spent most of his youth in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. After receiving his grammar (secondary) school certificate from then Taunton School, Moon was hired as a junior library assistant at the prestigious Southampton Public Library in 1939. The ambitious Moon pursued professional qualification by passing the Library Association's mastery examination. The Library Association is the United KIngdom's foremost library organization, and counterpart to the American Library Association (ALA). Moon soon began his military service in 1941, joining the Royal Air Force. Following his discharge in 1946 he pursued his professional education as a librarian, at the then Loughborough College
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
. While at Loughborough, Moon completed the rigorous requirements of advancement to the highest level of honor, FLA, Fellow of the Library Association. He began his professional career running small libraries in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, at Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, at Brentford and Chiswick
Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick
Brentford and Chiswick was a local government district of Middlesex, England from 1927 to 1965.It was created an urban district in 1927 by a merger of the former area of the Brentford Urban District and the Chiswick Urban District. It gained the status of municipal borough in 1932...
, and then at Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, experimenting with novel ideas in library service through this period. Frustrated with the conservatism of British librarianship, in 1958 he took a job as head of public libraries in Newfoundland, Canada, where he worked for one year.
Library Journal
In 1959 Moon was hired as editor-in-chief of Library Journal, based in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The leadership of the R.R. Bowker company, Library Journal's publisher, saw in Moon a personality they hoped would revive the struggling magazine and take it in new directions. Library Journal's fame dated back to the late 19th century with Melvil Dewey serving as its founding editor from 1876-1881.
In his nine years as editor-in-chief, Moon changed Library Journal substantially, most noticeably by engaging the magazine in controversial issues and taking sides in the heated debates that characterized American librarianship during the period. Under Moon's editorship, Library Journal became known for its liberal, activist perspectives on the professional issues of the day. With Moon at the helm, Library Journal earned consistent profits from advertising revenues and sweeping interest marked by an increase in circulation. This change in direction was first defined by Moon's choice in 1960 to address racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
in Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
libraries, where African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
librarians were not allowed to work in "white" libraries or participate in the library associations of Southern states. Until Moon, no mainstream publications so much as acknowledged the discimination in library access. Moon soon realized that he needed support from black librarians to continue reporting accurately on activities in the South. Moon formed alliances with many, including Elonnie "E.J." Josey who was an African American librarian at Savannah State College (Savannah, Georgia). Moon, along with Josey and countless others, advanced the concern of free access and integration of libraries and professional library associations. The debate over racially segregated libraries divided the profession at that time, and Moon's activist position placed his Library Journal in the camp of those in the profession who advocated significant change.
Moon also tackled the largely protested Vietnam War. Moon's editorials continued to challenge the profession during the tumultuous 1960s. Likewise, Moon's credit includes Library Journal's treatment of censorship and book selection practices in libraries. This transformation made Library Journal popular reading for American librarians; by the mid-1960s the magazine was financially thriving. In 1965 Eric Moon was appointed to the Bowker Board of Directors.
In that year he also became a citizen of the United States.
Later life
Moon quit his post as editor-in-chief of Library Journal in 1968, shortly after Bowker was acquired by the Xerox Corporation. In 1969 he was hired as the chief editor of Scarecrow Press, a small publisher with ties to the library community that had recently been purchased by the Grolier Educational Corporation (now a subsidiary of Scholastic, Inc.), taking over for founder Ralph ShawRalph R. Shaw (librarian)
Ralph R. Shaw was a librarian, a publisher, and an innovator in library science.He married his first wife Viola Susan Leff in 1929 and married his second wife, Mary McChesney Andrews in 1969.- Scarecrow Press :...
. At Scarecrow, Moon rapidly increased the number of titles published per year, while introducing higher standards for editorial accuracy. (Scarecrow had been notorious for typographical errors in its books.) He also broadened the scope of the press beyond its traditional focus on library science
Library science
Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
topics to include religion and music, just to name a few. In 1971, Moon became the company's president. Moon retired from Scarecrow Press in 1978.
Moon was much involved in the American Library Association (ALA) - its function, rules and policies throughout his American career. He had no qualms about criticizing the ALA, particularly regarding ALA's silence on the issue of racial prejudice and discrimination in libraries and library associations. By 1965, Moon was elected to the ALA Council. Moon ran for the office of Vice-President/President-Elect of the American Library Association as a petition candidate in 1976 and was elected. He was inaugurated in 1977. The major concern of his presidential year was to influence the development of a national information policy. Events in the profession during his term made it difficult to arouse strong interest in this goal within the association, whose leaders mostly lacked prior experience in the policy arena to begin with. Following his presidential year, Moon continued to influence ALA politics as a member of its governing Council and various committees into the mid-1990s.
In 1987, Moon received ALA's top award, Honorary Membership. In 2000, Moon was bestowed the highest honor by the British library profession, the coveted Honorary Fellowship, awarded by the Library Association.
Eric Moon is presently retired and living in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
with his wife Ilse, who is also a retired librarian.
Further reading
- Kister, Kenneth F.Kenneth KisterKenneth F. Kister is an academic, professor of library science and authority in the field of reference and information sources.As an academic he taught in the 1960s on "Intellectual Freedom and Censorship"...
. 2002. Eric Moon: the Life and Library Times. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. - Moon, Eric. 1993. A Desire to Learn: Selected Writings. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press.
- Moon, Eric, ed. 1969. Book Selection and Censorship in the Sixties. New York: R.R. Bowker Company.
- Moon, Eric & Nyren, Karl, eds. 1970. Library Issue: the Sixties. New York: R.R. Bowker Company.