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Rice University Fondren Library records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 157
Finding aid note: Boxes 42, 43, 67, 68, 85-94 stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center. Boxes 1-41, 44-66, 69-84 are stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records numerous relating to all aspects of Fondren Library between 1940 and 2022, including information regarding a variety of committees and events, correspondences, budgets, meeting minutes, and staff administration. It contains information relating to the librarian terms of William Dix, Hardin Craig Jr. and Richard L. O'Keefe, Samuel Carrington, Beth Shapiro, Chuck Henry, and Sara Lowman.

Dates

  • 1940 - 2022

Creator

Access Restrictions

The majority of this collection is open for research; some items have restricted access.

Files labeled restricted are restricted 50 years from the point of creation.

Conditions Governing Access

Boxes 42, 43, 67, 68, 85-93 stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Boxes 1-41, 44-66, 69-84 are stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from this collection must be obtained from Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Biographical Note

This collection covers the administrations of six Fondren Library librarians, William S. Dix, Hardin Craig, Jr., Richard L. O'Keefe, Samuel Carrington, Beth Shaprio, Chuck Henry, and Sara Lowman.

William S. Dix served as University Librarian and a professor of Enlish at the university between the years 1946 and 1953, after which time he went on to become to head librarian at Princeton University. He also served on various committees, and eventually as president of the American Library Association. Dix retired in 1975, and died in 1978.

Hardin Craig, Jr., served as University Librarian between 1953, after the departure of Dix, until 1968. During Craig's fifteen year tenure as librarian, Fondren's collection grew from 250,000 to 546,000 volumes. Craig retired as librarian in 1968 to serve full-time as associate professor of history at Rice. Dr. Craig died in 1971.

Richard L. O'Keefe was the University Librarian from 1968 until 1978. During O'Keefe's tenure as university librarian, Fondren Library was designated as an official patent depository by the United States Department of Commerce. O'Keefe also served on councils and committees for the American Library Association. O'Keefe died in September, 2001.

Samuel Carrington, professor of French at Rice since 1967, served as the University Librarian from 1978 until 1990. Carrington oversaw one of the most transformative periods in the library's history, serving as head librarian when computerization of library records first began to occur. Carrington died in 1996.

Beh Shapiro served as University Librarian from 1991 until her death in 1995. Shaprio was active in a number of professional groups, including the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, American Sociological Association, and the Association of University Professors.

Chuck Henry served as University Librarian from 1996 (when he was also appointed Vice Provost) until 2007. While serving as librarian, Henry also became Rice's Vice President for Information Technology and the chief information officer. Henry left Rice after being named the president of the Council on Library and Information Resources in 2006. Henry was awarded four Fullbright Scholar Grants to lecture on university administration, information technology, and library administration in the Slovak Republic, New Zealand, Austria, and China.

Sara Lowman began serving as Vice Provost and University Librarian in 2007 and continues to serve today. Lowman served as coordinator of collection development and online search services, interim co-director of reader services, head of reference, assistant university librarian for public services and associate university librarian before becoming director of Fondren Library in 2000. She has served as president of the board of trustees for the Houston Area Research Libraries and of Amigos Library Services, a library resources consortium. She was a coordinating council member for TexShare and has held a number of positions with the American Library Association. She is a recipient of the Shapiro Award for innovative library service and service to the university.

The Fondren Library records contains information spanning the tenures of all seven of these University Librarians.

Extent

46.5 Linear Feet ( (93 boxes))

0.0106 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_001 (10MB) )

1.64 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_002 (1.64 GB) )

3.25 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_003 (3.25GB) )

12.3 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_004 (12.3 GB) )

0.00961 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_005 (0.00961 GB) )

0.0102 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_006 (0.0102 GB) )

0.99 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_007 (0.99 GB) )

0.0389 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_008 (0.0389 GB) )

0.446 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_009 (0.466 GB) )

0.068 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_010 (0.068 GB) )

0.103 Gigabytes (Nearline access: UA157aip_011 (0.103 GB) )

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains records numerous relating to all aspects of Fondren Library between 1940 and 2022, including information regarding a variety of committees and events, correspondences, budgets, meeting minutes, and staff administration.

Acquisition Information

This material was transferred to Woodson Research Center periodically, between 1981 and 2022.

Creator

Title
Guide to the Rice University, Fondren Library Records, 1940-2022
Status
Unprocessed Addenda
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA