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LMS Records. Directors' / Deans' Files

Special Collections and Archives

LMS Records. Directors' / Deans' Files

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Special Collections and Archives

LMS Records. Directors' / Deans' Files

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Libraries and Media Services, Records. Directors'/Deans' Files, 1935-2003

Finding Aid

Prepared by Barbara Bass, July 26, 2005; Updated June 2012.
9 record storage boxes, 9 cubic feet, 11th floor


Historical Note

The library was organized in 1913 which was literally established and became a working library in 3 months and set up in Merrill Hall and contained mainly books for training in the field of education. By the end of the first year the library contained 5,000 volumes. As new areas of study were added the depth of the library collection was widened to include a second area of study, Liberal Arts in the mid-Twenties and later the College of Business Administration was added with books being added even though the budget was very thin at the time. The war years affected the number of students and income to the library.

The library was housed in the Administration Building on Hilltop Dr. after moving from the third floor of Merrill Hall . In 1929 the library was moved a third time to Rockwell Hall with a new addition added in 1958. In 1970 the new 12 floor library was opened in Sept. retaining all of its original space until 1977 when Audio Visual Services moved into the 3rd floor of the building in the space that was vacated by the undergraduate library.

Margaret Dunbar was the first librarian with her sister, Isabelle, assisting her for Kent State Normal School from 1913 to 1943. John B. Nicholson was the second librarian from 1945-1966. Hyman Kritzer was the third person in charge of the library and his title changed to director during 1966-1983. Succeeding Kritzer was Don L. Tolliver in 1984 to 2000 during which time the title changed to dean of libraries and media services was added. Mark Weber became dean of libraries and media services in 2000.


Scope and Content

Correspondence is filed first by the Director's/Dean's name and then by subject. The majority of the early files of correspondence when Miss Dunbar was in charge of the library were not kept. A few of the files remaining are included under John Nicholson, Director. Some of the early history of the library can be found in the Subject files.


Box 1

Folder -- Contents

Margaret (and Isabelle) Dunbar, Director(s)

  1. Correspondence: to/from Lee Belle Cravens: 1935

John Nicholson, Director, 1958 to 1966

  1. A.C.R.L. (Association of College Reference Libraries). Tri-State Chapter: 1963
  2. A.C.R.L. (Association of College Reference Libraries). Preliminary history:1963-64
  3. Accreditation: 1963
  4. Accreditation: Dept. of Architecture: 1962
  5. Acquisitions information: 1962
  6. American Library Association. Library Buildings and Equipment Institute: July 6-8, 1961
  7. American Library Association. Library Buildings and Equipment Institute: final letters: July 6-8, 1961
  8. American Library Association. Library Buildings and Equipment Institute: final letters: July 6-8, 1961
  9. American Library Association. Library Buildings and Equipment Institute: proceedings: July 6-8, 1961
  10. Architecture Library: 1961
  11. Artifacts: 1963
  12. Ashtabula: 1959
  13. Bauer, Frederick: Comptroller: 1962
  14. Bibliographical and Textual Center: 1966-1967
  15. Binding: 1963-1965
  16. Bolitho, Hector: correspondence: 1961
  17. Book budget: 1953/54; 1958/59; 1959/60
  18. Book fines: 1945-1951
  19. Book jobbers: 1962
  20. Book memorials: 1964-1965
  21. Bowman, George: 1961
  22. Bureau of National Affairs service: 1961
  23. Business Manager: Mr. Berg: 1961
  24. Cardinal and Blue Key: gift: 1947
  25. Catalog cards: 1964
  26. Chemistry/Physics Library: 1961-1966
  27. Circulation Department: 1947
  28. Crawford Bindery: 1965
  29. Davey Tree Expert Company: 1961-1962
  30. Dean of Education: Clayton M. Schindler: 1962
  31. Departmental/Branch libraries: 1948-1962
  32. Depostiory hearing (Documents): 1962
  33. Development Fund Account: 1962-1963
  34. Dewey Decimal System: 1948, 1961
  35. Doctoral Buying Committee: Oct. 9, 1961
  36. Doctoral programs: 1961-1962
  37. Doctoral programs: special funds: 1961
  38. Documents depository: 1961
  39. Documents depository: 1962
  40. DuBois, Paul: 1964
  41. Dunbar, Isabelle: 1955
  42. Duplicating catalog cards: 1961
  43. Duarte, Monseigneur: Viagem Aos Estados Unidos, chapter on Kent State: 1962
  44. Education Library: 1960, 1963-1964
  45. Evaluations: policy: 1963
  46. Faculty rank for librarians: [1958?]
  47. Footnotes: University Library history: Oct. 1964
  48. Foreign librarians: 1962
  49. Future library plans: 1961
  50. German Institute: 1960
  51. Gifts: 1961-1964
  52. Graduate Council: 1947-48
  53. Graduate School: 1961

Box 2: John Nicholson, Director, 1958 to 1966 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. HPER: Doctoral committee: 1960
  2. Harris, Ray Baker: Romanian Collection: 1950-1961
  3. History of Kent State University Library: article for Record Courier: [no date]
  4. ID cards: 1963
  5. Information on Kent Stater, Kentonian: 1954
  6. Introductory Library Staff Lecture: [1958]
  7. Kritzer, Hyman: 1965-1966
  8. Leebrick portrait: June 10, 1964
  9. Legislation: H.R. 8900 and S. 1241, Academic Facilities bills: 1962
  10. Librarian's title changed to from Head Librarian to Director: 1964
  11. Library budget: 1961-1967
  12. Library director vacancy: 1966
  13. Library general information: 1956
  14. Library history: 1948-[no date]
  15. Library hours: 1947-1966
  16. Library open house: 1962-1965
  17. Library operating paper: 1964
  18. Library organization: 1955-1965
  19. Library orientation: 1966
  20. Library pre-college orientation program: 1966
  21. Library organization: 1961-1965
  22. Library parking-staff: 1951
  23. Library personnel: 1958-1960
  24. Library process: 1961
  25. Library Pulic Relations Service. Case Study. Kent State University: 1947-48
  26. Library publications: 1962
  27. Library - Rockwell Hall: 1957-1958
  28. Library School at Ohio State: proposal: 1962
  29. Library Science: 1947-1964
  30. Library Science-Ohio State: 1962
  31. Library Science personnel: [1961]
  32. Library shelving: [no date]
  33. Library Space: 1947-1968
  34. Library staff: insurance: 1961
  35. Major book purchases: L. Edwin Smart Library:1962
  36. Manuscript collections: possible purchases: 1962
  37. Map Library: Sanborne Maps: 1957
  38. Mariana Collection: instructions on using material: Apr. 2, 1953
  39. Master's thesis and dissertations: 1957-1964
  40. Microfilming: 1961-1964
  41. Museum, University: 1962
  42. Music Library: 1959-1963
  43. News releases: 1946-1948
  44. Nicholson, John B.: 1961-1964
  45. Non-professional workers: 1964

Box 3: John Nicholson, Director, 1958 to 1966 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. Open House: 1946-1947
  2. Open House: 1950
  3. Open House: 1951
  4. Open House: Miss Dunbar given emeritis status: 1952
  5. Open House: 1953
  6. Open House: 1954
  7. Open House: 1955
  8. Open House: 1956
  9. Open House: 1957
  10. Open House: 1958
  11. Open House: invitations: 1955-1960, 1961-1963, 1965-1966
  12. Open House: Request for archival material from departments on campus: 1959
  13. Open House: archival material receipts acknowledged; Friends of the Library list: 1960
  14. Open House and symposium speakers: 1946-1958/59
  15. Personnel need: 1958-59
  16. Phi Beta Kapa: questionnaire: 1965
  17. Photograph: Mr. John Nicholson; two unidentified men
  18. Physics-Chemistry Library: 1961
  19. Policies and routines: 1949-1963
  20. Policy: "A Preliminary Recommendation of a General Library Acquisition Policy with Certain Specific Recommendations Concerning Departmental Needs" by John Nicholson: May, 1966
  21. Pre-college conference: 1961-1966
  22. Printer's Mark : correspondence: 1962; 1966
  23. Processing: 1949
  24. Proposal for voluntary lecture on use of library: 1962
  25. Purchased collections: 1962
  26. Questionnaire on budgets: 1960
  27. Rare books gifts/purchases: 1963-1964
  28. Reading Clinic: 1947-1948
  29. Recordak Miracode System: 1964
  30. Reports: miscellaneous: 1945-1963/64
  31. Salaries: 1953-1960
  32. Security system: 1962
  33. Serif: correspondence: 1964
  34. Sleeth, [?]: Faulkner bibliography: 1962
  35. Social Committee: break schedule: Feb. 2, 1966
  36. Space reallocations: 1963-1964
  37. Staff: 1947-1966
  38. Staff: appointed by Board of Trustees: 1947-1952
  39. Status of Librarians: 1960,
  40. Student employment: 1963
  41. Survey of departmental library needs: 1961
  42. Tanganika: teacher training project: 1963-1964
  43. Tanzania library: 1965
  44. Thesis abstracts: 1962
  45. Tourgee material: 1964
  46. Trinidad training program: [1961]
  47. United States Book Exchange: 1948
  48. Union catalog: 1961-1965
  49. University School Library: 1949-1965
  50. Wadsworth Center: 1962-1964
  51. "Wheel": 1965

Box 4: Hyman W. Kritzer, Director, 1966-1983

Folder -- Contents

  1. Abel, Richard: 1972-1975
  2. Acquisitions: 1966-1968
  3. Acquisitions: 1971-1975
  4. Acquisitions: 1980-1982
  5. Acquisitions: 1983
  6. Afro-American Studies: 1971-1975
  7. ARL information: 1973-1975
  8. Art, School of: 1967-1972
  9. Article by Mr. Kritzer for Kent Magazine: April 1971
  10. Attrition: 1973-1974
  11. Audio Visual Services: 1970-1974
  12. Automated Acquisitions: 1968-1969
  13. Bibliographical and Textual Center: 1969
  14. Bibliographical and Textual Center: Budget: 1970
  15. Bindery: contracts: 1977-1979
  16. Bindery: contracts: 1980-1982
  17. Blackwell's: 1971-1972
  18. Book detection system: 1973-1974
  19. Bookplates: 1968
  20. Branch libraries: Architecture: 1968-1969
  21. Branch libraries: Chemistry/Physics: 1969-1970
  22. Branch libraries: general information: 1967-1969
  23. Branch libraries: Map Library: 1968-1969
  24. Branch libraries: Map Library history: 1969
  25. Branch libraries: Math Library: 1967-1970
  26. Branch libraries: Music Library: 1967-1970

Box 5: Hyman W. Kritzer, Director, 1966-1983 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. Budget: 1966-1969
  2. Budget: 1969-1970
  3. Budget: 1971-1975
  4. Budet: Reader's Service: 1968-1969
  5. Budget crunch: 1978
  6. B: misc. 1968-
  7. Campus/Planning: Library/University Center: 1971
  8. Circulation Dept.: 1967
  9. Circulation Dept.: 1968-1969
  10. Circulation Dept.: 1969-1970
  11. Circulation Dept.: Microform Center: 1969-1970
  12. Circulation Dept.: Photocopying: 1968-1969
  13. Circulation Dept.: Stack supervisors: 1968-1969
  14. Civil Service: 1971
  15. Claremont Computer Systems (OCLC): June 15, 1981
  16. Cleveland Ara Libraries: transportation: 1967-1970
  17. Copyright: 1976-1983
  18. Correspondence: Duncan Wall: January 24, 1972
  19. Cost/Income Squeeze: correspondence: 1971

Box 6: Hyman W. Kritzer, Director, 1966-1983 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. Data Processing Services: 1967
  2. Directories: 1967-1968
  3. Doctoral programs: 1969-1970
  4. Edgar, Neil: 1978-1980
  5. Education
  6. Education projects, Library: 1968-1969
  7. Emergency procedures: [1968-1969]
  8. Ethnic Collections: correspondence: 1974-1975
  9. Exhibits: 1968-1969
  10. Faculty status: 1968-1969
  11. Fuldheim, Dorothy: correspondence: 1971-1980
  12. Gifts: correspondence: 1983
  13. Goodrich Institute of Personnel Development: 1974-1975
  14. Humanities Division: 1967-1968
  15. Inquiries about Legislator's private and public papers: 1970's
  16. Kritzer, Hy: correspondence and vita: 1969
  17. Library acquisition recommendations: 1969
  18. Library faculty: contracts and policies: 1970
  19. Library hours: 1966-1968
  20. Library movie project: 1965
  21. Library, naming of: 1970-1971
  22. Library: naming: 1977
  23. Library operating paper: 1972
  24. Library planning project: 1973
  25. Library review: 1980
  26. Libray Science: 1968-1969
  27. Library Science: 1969-1971
  28. Library Science: 1975
  29. Listening Center: 1971-1975
  30. NEOUCOM: library: 1972-1975
  31. New library: 1969
  32. OCLC: 1972
  33. OCLC: 1981-1982
  34. Ohio Library Association: 1971, 1974
  35. One millionth volume: 1968-1974
  36. Orientation program: 1967-1968

Box 7: Hyman W. Kritzer, Director, 1966-1983 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. Parking and Traffic: 1968-1969
  2. Periodical Collection: 1971-1975
  3. Personnel matters: 1973
  4. Preparation for new [library] building: 1970-1971
  5. Press releases: 1967-1968
  6. Program Planning Budgets: 1974
  7. Project Library Ripoff: 1974
  8. Psychology Library: 1970
  9. Questionnaires: 1967-1968
  10. Rare books: 1967
  11. Reader's Services: 1967-1969
  12. Reference Dept.: correspondence: 1969/1970
  13. Reference Dept.: Interlibrary Loan: 1969/1970
  14. Reference Dept.: correspondence: 1975-1976
  15. Reference Dept.: correspondence: 1977-1981
  16. Reference Dept.: correspondence: 1982-1983
  17. Reference Dept.: correspondence: 1984
  18. Reference Dept.: plans: 1967-1968
  19. Reorganization: 1973
  20. Rockwell Memorial Library Building: proposals for future use: 1968-1969
  21. Rosenberg, Kenyon: correspondence: 1975-1978
  22. Rush, James: OCLC correspondence: 1980
  23. Serif 1969-1974
  24. Snyder, Dr. John W.: Exec. Vice Pres. & Provost for Learning Resources of Libraries: 1974-1976
  25. Snyder's Plan: Sept. 24, 1975
  26. Staff Benefits: 1971-1973
  27. Swartz, Joseph J.: memorial collection: 1978-1979
  28. Television Services: 1973-1975
  29. Television Services: correspondence on policy of equipment: 1978-1979
  30. Television Services:(request for name change from Television Services to Teleproductions 1/14/83): 1980-1983
  31. Undergraduate Library: book collection committee: 1967-1968
  32. Undergraduate Library: 1971-1972
  33. University of Akron: (Agreement between Kent State University and University of Akron (Nov. 15, 1965); Architect-Engineer program: 1965; 1973
  34. Urban Studies Library: 1969-1971

Box 8: Don Tolliver, Dean, 1984-2000

Folder -- Contents

  1. Acquisitions: 1984
  2. Acquisitions: 1985
  3. Acquisitions: 1986/87
  4. Administrative leave: 1986/87
  5. Audio Visual: 1984
  6. Audio Visual: 1985
  7. Audio Visual: 1986
  8. Barnard, Susan: 1986/87
  9. Bindery: 1984/85
  10. Bruccoli, Matthew: Aug. 17, 2003
  11. Budget: memos to and from Terry Roark: 1984
  12. Bullard, Scott: impact of inflation on budget: Aug. 11, 1986
  13. Byerly, Greg: NOTIS: 1985
  14. Byerly, Greg: NOTIS: 1986/87
  15. Catalog Department: 1984-1985
  16. Circulation Dept.: 1984/85
  17. Circulation Dept. 1986/87
  18. Collection Development: 1967-1982
  19. Collection Development: 1983/84-l984/85
  20. Computer Assisted Instruction: 1984
  21. Computer Assisted Instruction: 1985
  22. Computer Assisted Instruction: 1986
  23. Conservation/Preservation: includes photos of water damage to library [1984]: 1984-1987
  24. Council on Library Resources: proposal: 1984
  25. Dean Keller: correspondence to Don Tolliver: 1984-1985
  26. Documents: 1983-1985
  27. Documents: 1986-1988
  28. Exchange program: Aristotle University: 1984-1989
  29. Exchange program: Aristotle University:1990-1992
  30. Foundation: 1987

Box 9: Don Tolliver, Dean, 1984-2000 (continued)

Folder -- Contents

  1. Gaylord, Mary: correspondence: 1986-1990
  2. Graduate and Undergraduate Student Senate: 1985-1989
  3. Keller, Dean: correspondence: 1984-1985
  4. Map Library: article from Timeline: 1997-2001
  5. NEOMAL: 1984
  6. NEOMARL: May 29, 1997
  7. NOTIS: 1984
  8. NOTIS: 1985
  9. NOTIS: 1985/86
  10. NOTIS: includes proposal: 1986
  11. OLA presentation: Don Tolliver: June 10, 1988
  12. Project for Information Literacy Assessment: ARL: 2001
  13. Reception for Dr. Tolliver: 1984
  14. Regional Depository: 1990-1992
  15. School of Architecture: proposal for library: 1989
  16. Serials Unit: 1984-1985
  17. Somers, Jean: Catalog Dept.: 1985-1988
  18. Tolliver, Don: news items: Nov. 26, 1985
  19. 2,000,000 volume: Apr. 15, 1998

Mark Weber, Dean, 2001-2010

  1. State of the Library report, 2002
  2. Strategic Budgeting: 2003