Library geopolitics: Camerani, Ranganathan and the democratic reconstruction of the AIB

Abstract

Starting from 1933, when the first Italian review of a work by Ranganathan signed by Vittorio Camerani (1898-1961, librarian of the International Institute of Agriculture) appeared on the pages of «La Bibliofilia», there was a fruitful relationship between them. It was in particular on the proposal of Ranganathan, with the crucial intermediary of Camerani and Francesco Barberi, that the 17th Session of the IFLA and the Congress of the FID could take place in Rome in September 1951 (and this proved decisive for the return of the AIB in IFLA after the events related to the war). Ranganathan, as known, did not take part in the events and so far any stay in Italy had remained unknown. Also thanks to unpublished documents preserved in the AIB archive, the report studies the relationship between Ranganathan and Camerani and light up on the very brief episodes of the librarian in Italy carried out during his European travels.

Keywords

• s. r. ranganathan
• vittorio camerani
• francesco barberi
• aib
• ifla