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

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

20. State of the Library report, 2002
21. Strategic Budgeting: 2003