Josephine Adams Rathbone

This article is about the American librarian Josephine Adams Rathbone; for the American physiologist with a similar name and overlapping lifetime, see Josephine Langworthy Rathbone.

Josephine Adams Rathbone (September 10, 1864 – May 17, 1941) was a librarian, library educator, author, and president of the American Library Association in 1931–1932.^[1] She was born in Jamestown, New York. She began her studies at the University of Michigan from 1887 to 1891, then moved to New York where she graduated from the New York State Library School in 1893 earning a B.L.S.^[2] After working for two years as an assistant cataloger at the Pratt Institute Free Library^[2] she was appointed "chief instructor" at the Pratt Institute Library School in 1895 under Mary Wright Plummer.^[3] When Plummer went to the New York Public Library to establish its Training Class in 1911, Rathbone was appointed vice-director of the Pratt Institute school, a position she held until she retired in 1938.

Josephine Adams Rathbone
Josephine Adams (right) pokes fun of the staid image of her respected instructor, Josephine Adams Rathbone (left). Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, 1931.
President of the American Library Association
In office 1931–1932
Preceded by	Adam Strohm
Succeeded by	Harry Miller Lydenberg
Personal details
Born	Josephine Adams Rathbone September 10, 1864 (1864-09-10) New York, US
Died	May 17, 1941(1941-05-17) (aged 76)
Education	University of Michigan
Occupation	Librarian

Rathbone was active in state and local professional associations serving as secretary of the New York State Library Association and president of the New York Library Club.^[4] In 1931–1932 she was president of the American Library Association (ALA).^[2]

Bibliography

• Libraries to See in Greater New York Wisconsin Library Bulletin, Volume 12. February, 1916. pages 53–58
• Viewpoints in Travel; An Arrangement of Books According to Their Essential Interest. Chicago: American library Association Pub. board, 1919.
• Shelf Department. Chicago: American Library Association Pub. board, 1918.