Samuel Swett Green

{{Short description|American librarian (1837–1918)}}

{{other people||Samuel Green (disambiguation){{!}}Samuel Green}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Samuel Swett Green

| image = Samuel Swett Green.jpg

| office = President of the American Library Association

| term_start = July 1891

| term_end = November 1891

| predecessor = Melvil Dewey

| successor = Klas August Linderfelt

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1837|02|20}}

| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|1918|12|08|1837|02|20}}

| death_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

| nationality = American

| education = {{unbulleted list|Harvard University}}

| occupation = Librarian

| known_for = founding figure in America’s public library movement

}}

Samuel Swett Green (February 20, 1837 – December 8, 1918) was an American librarian.

Green was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, to the apothecary James Green and Elizabeth Swett. He was educated at Harvard, graduating in 1858. A few years later, he attended Harvard Divinity School but did not graduate until 1864 due to health issues.{{cite web|last1=Richardson Jr.|first1=John V.|title=Green, Samuel Swett (20 February 1837 - 8 December 1918)|url=http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/jrichardson/dis245/SSGREEN.htm|access-date=5 April 2015}} Forsaking the ministry, he began his library career in 1867, when he was appointed director of the Worcester Free Public Library.{{cite book|title=Samuel Swett Green: Worcester Free Public Library, Worcester, MA., Director 1867-1871, Librarian 1871-1909|date=1909|publisher=Press of F. S. Blanchard & Co.|location=Worcester, MA|pages=[https://archive.org/details/samuelswettgree00coomgoog/page/n4 1]–18|url=https://archive.org/details/samuelswettgree00coomgoog|access-date=5 April 2015}} The library was heavily funded by Green’s uncle, Dr. John Green. As director, Green focused primarily on the technical aspects of librarianship. He also instituted an interlibrary loan system and a lending collection of artwork.{{Cite web|url=https://mywpl.org/Samuel-swett-green|title=Samuel Swett Green | Worcester Public Library}} In 1871, he took up the position of librarian, a position he held for 38 years.{{cite journal|last1=Deng|first1=Liya|title=The Evolution of Library Reference Services: From General to Special, 1876-1920s|journal=Libri: International Journal of Libraries & Information Services|date=September 2014|volume=64|issue=3|pages=254–262}}

Green was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1880.[http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistg American Antiquarian Society Members Directory]

he died in 1918 at 81