Dana, John Cotton, 1856–1929, American librarian and museum director, b. Woodstock, Vt. He was a lawyer and a civil engineer before joining the staff of the Denver (Colo.) Public Library in 1889, where he instituted the first branch for children. In 1902 Dana became head of the Newark (N.J.) Public Library, which under his direction offered new services to the public including a branch for businessmen. In 1909 the Newark Museum was founded, with Dana as its director until 1929. Dana was a pioneer in library advertising and in library printing and was one of the founders of the Special Libraries Association and its first president. He was president (1895–96) of the American Library Association. Among his many publications are A Library Primer (1899) and The New Museum (1917).
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