ABSTRACT
Library internationalism was underpinned by a discourse that explained why libraries and information were important and necessary. This chapter explores some of the key features of postwar thinking about libraries and library development. In the wake of the Second World War, libraries were seen as one means by which greater international understanding could be achieved. World peace thus figured as a strong theme in postwar library thought. Alongside this, libraries were seen as key cultural institutions that would help developing countries achieve modernity. Modernization and nation-building were therefore themes that librarians emphasized in international library development work. Finally, this chapter discusses the way libraries were imagined as a means for realizing the modern self.
