Leadership in Academic Libraries by Potter William G.;

Author:Potter, William G.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1619102
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

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Ralph E. Russell has been University Librarian at Georgia State University since 1975. Ray W. Frantz has been University Librarian at the University of Virginia since 1967. Graham Roberts served as Director of Libraries at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1971 until his retirement in 1984.

Ralph E. Russell is Moderator of this panel discussion.

Reminiscences

from the Professional Experiences

of an Erstwhile Academic Librarian

W. Porter Kellam

My first experience in library work began in the fall of 1924 when I was employed as a student assistant in the Trinity College, now Duke University, Library. Since then there was not a year in which I did not work in a library until my retirement on June 30, 1973. However, in four of those years I worked only during the summers. The academic months were spent in school, two years as a teacher in public schools and the other two years as a student in the library schools at Emory University and the University of Illinois. I decided, after two years of teaming, that I did notwish to pursue that profession, and accepted a full-time position in the Duke Library in the fall of 1928. A year there led me to decide to make librarianship my life's work, and I began making plans to enter library school in the fall of 1930. My original intention was to go to the University of Illinois and I had been accepted there. Later, I learned that the library school operated by the Atlanta Public Library was being transferred to Emory University that fall, and that the Rosenwald Foundation had provided funds for five one thousand dollar scholarships to be offered to Southern males in an attempt to lure more men into the profession. I submitted an application and had the good fortune of being awarded one for the academic session 1930–1931.

My first professional position was in the University of North Carolina Library as Education Librarian from June through December 1931. On January 1, 1932, I became head of the Circulation Department and remained in that position until June 30, 1934. Beginning July 1,1934,I served in the following successive positions! Librarian, North Carolina State College, July 1, 1934-August 31, 1939; Librarian, West Virginia University, September 1, 1939-August 31, 1946; Librarian, University of South Carolina, September 1, 1946-August 31, 1947; Assistant Librarian for Technical Services, University of North Carolina, September 1, 1947-August 31, 1950; and Director of Libraries, University of Georgia from September 1, 1950 until my retirement on June 30, 1973.

I entered the library profession firmly believing in the power of books to influence lives and with a burning desire, a missionary zeal one might say, to make that power available to the citizenry through libraries. Although my experience was in academic libraries, I soon became aware of the value and need for adequate public and school libraries in the learning process. Afterwards, this belief was strengthened by my work with the library commission in West Virginia.

In my opinion, the goal of any library should be the provision of expeditious service to its patrons.

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