Historiographs, Librarianship, and The History of Science

The study of the history of science has recently taken on new importance as an academic discipline. It’s easy to see why. With the pace and complexity of scientific developments accelerating, the need for improved guidelines for scientific research becomes more obvious each day. As critical as today’s dilemmas of pesticides, pollution, and nuclear weapons are, applications of current scientific research could produce far more serious problems in the future. For example, the work of molecular biologists could produce a happier, healthier world population or, as suggested by some, it could produce some horrible new weapon of war. 1 Guidelines for scientific research, however, do not simply materialize from thin air. A solid understanding of past developments and the present nature of science itself is required fust. Professor Derek de Solla Price claim% “we are getting to the point where there must arise a fairly hard academic discipline to help understand the machinery that makes science act the way it does and grow the way it grows.’ ‘z By studying the history of science in a more intensive and accurate fashion, we may obtain badly needed insight into such problems as: a The role of science in war and peace. b. The use and misuse of research. c. The inter-relations of science and technology. d The reciprocal responsibilities of scientists and society. e, The funding and control of science. f. The determination of future policies on scientific education. g. The formulation of a public policy on science in general. With such important questions to be answered, writing the history of science can no longer be looked on as an exercise to satisfy one’s curiosity. This endeavor is too important to be fulfilled, as it has been in the past, as an avocation of scientists. What is neede~ as in any other complex activity, is a highly trained specialist. There have been some beginnings towards this objective. hr I!)50 there were only a handful of professional science historians in North America,