William I. Fletcher

William Isaac Fletcher (April 23, 1844 – June 15, 1917) was an American librarian, bibliographer, and indexer who served as the head librarian of Amherst College from 1883 to 1911 and the President of the American Library Association in 1891-92. In 1951, he was named by Library Journal to the Library Hall of Fame.

William I. Fletcher
President of the American Library Association
In office 1892
Preceded by	Klas August Linderfelt
Succeeded by	Melvil Dewey
Personal details
Born	William Isaac Fletcher April 23, 1844 Burlington, Vermont, United States
Died	June 15, 1917 (aged 73)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Librarian

Background

Born in Burlington, Vermont, Fletcher grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts. After working as the Winchester town librarian in his teens, he got a job at the Boston Athenaeum when he was 18, working there under William Frederick Poole for five years. After a decade and a half of working at several other libraries in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Fletcher was hired by Amherst in November 1883.

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature

Fletcher served as the editor of four supplements (1893, 1897, 1903, and 1908) of the Poole's Index to Periodical Literature as well as of the 1893 and 1901 editions of the ALA Index to General Literature.

Fletcher married in 1869, and had two daughters and three sons.

References

• Bobinski, George S. "William Isaac Fletcher, an Early American Library Leader." The Journal of Library History, v5n2, Apr 1970, pgs. 101-118.
• "A Library Hall of Fame for the 75th Anniversary." Library Journal, v76, 15 Mar 1951, pgs. 466-472.