{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T20:58:07Z","timestamp":1777928287010,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,8,14]],"date-time":"2009-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1250208000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Librarianship and Information Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>First published in 1957, following a battle with nervous lawyers, The Uses of Literacy is recognized as one of the founding texts of cultural studies. Its critique of mass culture reverberated far beyond that discipline. It influenced the librarians of the day who were beginning to think about issues of class and consider their services in a social context. This review considers its current relevance and discusses the views of library professionals who support and oppose Hoggart\u2019s thesis. Library educators and practitioners also consulted other writers who examined culture and class but the author suggests that Hoggart is closest to the library world. Libraries were part of his development and he contributed to professional journals and activities. The Uses of Literacy remains relevant to the concerns of the working class and reminds librarians of their responsibilities. It is pertinent to current professional debates about literacy, commercialized culture and the need for excellence. As we enter a more serious age there are signs that Hoggart\u2019s arguments might be heeded and that members of the profession will use them as a compass to help them counter the abuse of literacy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0961000609337834","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,8,14]],"date-time":"2009-08-14T05:52:51Z","timestamp":1250229171000},"page":"191-197","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Librarians, librarianship and The Uses of Literacy"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"41","author":[{"given":"Bob","family":"Usherwood","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Sheffield,"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"atypb1","volume-title":"Letter to Richard Hoggart dated 23 March [3\/134\/1]","author":"Adler, H.","year":"1992"},{"key":"atypb2","volume-title":"The English Common Reader: A Social History of the Mass Reading Public","author":"Altick, R.","year":"1957"},{"key":"atypb3","unstructured":"Annan, Lord ( 1972) \u2018The Disintegration of an Old Culture\u2019 , in K.J. McGarry (ed.) Mass Communications: Selected Readings for Librarians, pp. 103-17. London : Clive Bingley."},{"key":"atypb4","volume-title":"Bibliography and the Provision of Books","author":"Benge, R.","year":"1963"},{"key":"atypb5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5040\/9780571289325.00000008"},{"key":"atypb6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/lac.2003.0038"},{"key":"atypb7","volume-title":"Dennis Potter","author":"Carpenter, H.","year":"1998"},{"key":"atypb8","volume-title":"\u2018To Think Fearlessly. Richard Hoggart and the Politics of the English Language\u2019","author":"Clarke, B.","year":"2008"},{"key":"atypb9","volume-title":"The Likes of Us: A Biography of the White Working Class","author":"Collins, M.","year":"2004"},{"key":"atypb10","author":"Collins, M.","year":"2004","journal-title":"Sunday Times"},{"key":"atypb11","volume-title":"\u2018Is this Your Life?\u2019, Daily Herald 21 February [3\/11\/120] and 22 February [3\/11\/121]","author":"Davidson, B.","year":"1957"},{"issue":"11","key":"atypb12","first-page":"171","volume":"8","author":"Dawtry, F.","year":"1958","journal-title":"Probation"},{"issue":"11","key":"atypb13","first-page":"170","volume":"65","author":"Devereux, M.W.","year":"1972","journal-title":"Assistant Librarian"},{"issue":"2","key":"atypb14","first-page":"96","volume":"94","author":"Dudley, E.","year":"1992","journal-title":"Library Association Record"},{"issue":"12","key":"atypb15","first-page":"813","volume":"93","author":"Featherstone, T.","year":"1991","journal-title":"Library Association Record"},{"key":"atypb16","author":"GHH","year":"1957","journal-title":"Romford Recorder"},{"key":"atypb17","author":"Gibson, M.","year":"2004","journal-title":"Libraries Review"},{"key":"atypb18","first-page":"3","volume":"28","author":"Hall, L.","year":"2009","journal-title":"The Times Saturday Review February"},{"key":"atypb19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1367877907073899"},{"key":"atypb20","first-page":"41","author":"Hari, J.","year":"2004","journal-title":"The Independent"},{"key":"atypb21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/00242539610122544"},{"key":"atypb22","volume-title":"The Uses of Literacy","author":"Hoggart, R.","year":"1963"},{"key":"atypb23","author":"Hoggart, R.","year":"1977","journal-title":"Times Literary Supplement"},{"key":"atypb24","first-page":"27","author":"Hoggart, R.","year":"1982","journal-title":"Observer Review"},{"key":"atypb25","volume-title":"A Sort of Clowning. Life and Times Vol. II 1940-1959","author":"Hoggart, R.","year":"1991"},{"issue":"1","key":"atypb26","first-page":"24","volume":"94","author":"Hoggart, R.","year":"1992","journal-title":"Library Association Record"},{"key":"atypb27","unstructured":"Hoggart, R. ( 1998) \u2018Critical Literacy and Critical Reading\u2019 , in B. Cox (ed.) Literacy Is Not Enough, pp. 56-71. Manchester: Manchester University Press."},{"key":"atypb28","author":"Jacoby, S.","year":"2008","journal-title":"The Spectator"},{"key":"atypb29","volume-title":"Mass Communications: Selected Readings for Librarians","author":"McGarry, K.J.","year":"1972"},{"key":"atypb30","unstructured":"Medical Officer (1957) \u2018Commentaries on Mental Health\u2019, 7 June: 323 [3\/11\/154]."},{"key":"atypb31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09502380600973911"},{"key":"atypb32","volume-title":"The Public Library: Its Origins, Purpose and Significance","author":"Murison, W.","year":"1971","edition":"2"},{"key":"atypb33","volume-title":"Copy of letter to Chatto and Windus 19 July [3\/1\/2]","author":"Neish, Howell","year":"1955"},{"key":"atypb34","volume-title":") \u2018Bound to the Word\u2019","author":"Obama, B.","year":"2005"},{"key":"atypb35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/camqtly\/bfi015"},{"issue":"2","key":"atypb36","first-page":"104","volume":"94","author":"Pateman, J.","year":"1992","journal-title":"Library Association Record"},{"key":"atypb37","volume-title":"\u2018The Likes of Us\u2019, Information for Social Change","author":"Pateman, J.","year":"2005"},{"key":"atypb38","unstructured":"Pateman, J. ( 2008) \u2018Powerful but Ultimately Outdated Polemic on Public Libraries - Equity Rules Now\u2019, Library + Information Update 7 (9): 44."},{"key":"atypb39","volume-title":"The Changing Forest","author":"Potter, D.","year":"1966"},{"key":"atypb40","volume-title":"\u2018Over Half-Million Increase in Library Book Issues\u2019, 19 July [3\/11\/262]","author":"Retford Times","year":"1957"},{"key":"atypb41","volume-title":"The Classic Slum","author":"Roberts, R.","year":"1978"},{"key":"atypb42","first-page":"151","author":"Root, A.","year":"1985","journal-title":"New Internationalist"},{"key":"atypb43","volume-title":"The Intellectual Life of the British Working Class","author":"Rose, J.","year":"2001"},{"key":"atypb44","volume-title":"\u2018Questions of Taste and Class: Richard Hoggart and Bonamy Dobree\u2019","author":"Steele, T.","year":"2008"},{"key":"atypb45","author":"Taylor, D.J.","year":"2007","journal-title":"The Guardian"},{"key":"atypb46","volume-title":"\u2018Low Blows of a Class","author":"Taylor, L.","year":"2004"},{"key":"atypb47","volume-title":"Introducing Richard Hoggart to an audience at Sheffield Hallam University","author":"Usherwood, B.","year":"1998"},{"key":"atypb48","volume-title":"Equity and Excellence in the Public Library: Why Ignorance is Not our Heritage","author":"Usherwood, B.","year":"2007"},{"key":"atypb49","volume-title":"Letter to Richard Hoggart, dated 21 March [3\/134\/4]","author":"Wane, M.","year":"1992"},{"key":"atypb50","first-page":"26","author":"Waugh, D.","year":"2009","journal-title":"The Sunday Times Home"},{"issue":"2","key":"atypb51","first-page":"29","volume":"1","author":"Williams, R.","year":"1957","journal-title":"Universities and Left Review"},{"key":"atypb52","author":"Wroe, N.","year":"2004","journal-title":"The Guardian"},{"key":"atypb53","volume-title":"Family and Kinship in East London","author":"Young, M.","year":"1962"},{"key":"atypb54","volume-title":"Family and Class in a London Suburb","author":"Young, M.","year":"1967"}],"container-title":["Journal of Librarianship and Information Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0961000609337834","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0961000609337834","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T23:09:02Z","timestamp":1777676942000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0961000609337834"}},"subtitle":["A review article"],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2009,8,14]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/0961000609337834"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0961000609337834","relation":{},"ISSN":["0961-0006","1741-6477"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0961-0006","type":"print"},{"value":"1741-6477","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2009,8,14]]}}}