Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
William H. Carlson Papers, 1924-1981
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Carlson, William Hugh, 1898-
- Title
- William H. Carlson Papers
- Dates
- 1924-198119241981
- Quantity
- 3.4 cubic feet
- Collection Number
- Consult repository.
- Summary
- These papers document the career and research endeavors of William H. Carlson, University Librarian of OSU from 1945 to 1965.
- Repository
-
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu - Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
William H. Carlson served as the University Librarian of OSU from 1945 to 1965. Born in 1898 in Waverly, Nebraska, William Carlson graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1924 with a degree in Journalism. As a student, Carlson's employment in the Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau Library sparked an interest in a career in library work. Pursuing this interest, Carlson earned a certificate from the New York State Library School in 1926 and later graduated with a Master's degree in Librarianship from the University of California at Berkeley in 1937. Before his appointment as Director of the Libraries for the Oregon State System of Higher Education and OSU Librarian in 1945, Carlson worked in several college and university libraries, including: the University of Iowa, University of North Dakota, Vanderbilt University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Washington. Active in research on library topics, Carlson published a number of articles and reviews on contemporary topics in library science such as post-war library planning and resources in Western libraries. Carlson also pursued an interest in Scandinavian studies, owing partly to his own Swedish ancestry. The Kerr Library was constructed in 1963 during Carlson's tenure as OSU Librarian. Retiring from the OSU Library in 1965, Carlson continued to be involved in library research, serving as a consultant on a survey of Oregon Institutional Libraries from 1966 to 1967. Carlson also completed a history of the OSU Library during his retirement, which was later submitted to The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science in 1977. Carlson died in Corvallis in 1990.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Subjects addressed in the correspondence include the publication of Carlson's articles and studies, employment possibilities as a university librarian, involvement in the Pacific Northwest Library Association Reorganization Committee, sabbatical leave plans, and Carlson's receipt of a Carnegie Fellowship Award. Carlson's research and lecture notes were generated in the course of formulating articles, speeches, books, and courses in library science which were taught in the summer of 1938 at the University of California at Berkeley. Class notes from Carlson's graduate course work in library science are also included in this series. The reports and studies pertain to institutional and university library resources and services. Carlson was involved as a researcher, author, and consultant in these reports. This series also includes completed surveys and informational materials assembled in the process of research.
The speeches delivered by Carlson to library schools, library association conferences, and local fraternal clubs and churches cover the subjects of library management, religion, and books. Series V contains draft copies and reprints of Carlson's articles and book reviews published in journals, magazines, and an encyclopedia. The subject of these articles primarily relate to library subjects and Scandinavian studies. This series also includes reprints of articles collected by Carlson that mostly pertain to library topics such as international libraries, library special collections, and the library profession. The publications consist of library staff newsletters, library journals, magazines, annual reports, book collection guides, and conference proceedings, and relate to various library topics, Scandinavian studies, and U. S. History.
The pamphlet materials and brochures relate primarily to university libraries, including dedications of new library buildings, university library handbooks/guides, and brochures for library furniture. The two book drafts are: In a Grand and Awful Time: Essays from the Librarian's Desk on 20th Century Man and His Books and The Library of OSU: Its Origins, Management, and Growth. A Centennial History. The book, The Development and Financial Support of Seven Northwestern and Western State University Libraries, was the product of a study Carlson conducted and submitted to the University of California School of Librarianship and which was funded in part by a American Library Association Carnegie Fellowship. The newspaper clippings pertain to Carlson and his post at the OSU Library, dedications of other university libraries, the University of California Berkeley student free-speech movement, and state legislation relating to correctional facilities. The photographs, primarily B&W prints and color slides, depict the Dodgen family and other friends/relatives, the OSU Library and other university and public libraries, and Carlson in portrait shots.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The William H. Carlson Papers are organized into eleven series: I. Correspondence; II. Research and Lecture Notes; III. Reports and Studies; IV. Speeches; V. Articles; VI. Publications; VII. Brochures/Pamphlets/Handbooks; VIII. Book Drafts; IX. Book; X. Newspaper Clippings; and XI. Photographs.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Correspondence, 1928-1981Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
1 | Article on Ida
Kidder |
1966-1967 |
1 | Article on
" Notable
Nebraskans" |
1964-1966 |
1 | Articles and Speeches by
Carlson (general) |
1936-1972 |
1 | Book,
In a Grand and Awful
Time
|
1966 |
1 | Conference Paper: Resources
of Western Libraries |
1940 |
1 | Dodgen Family |
1961-1966 |
1 | Employment
Related |
1928-1968 |
1 | Fellowships/Scholarships |
1933-1936 |
1 | Genealogy
Research |
1958, 1968 |
1 | General |
1935-1942, 1945-1981 |
1 | Higher Education Act of 1965
(Federal Legislation) |
1965 |
1 | Oregon Institutional Library
Services Study |
1967 |
1 | PNLA (Pacific Northwest
Library Association) Reorganization Committee |
1964-1966 |
1 | Publication of Western and
Northwest University Libraries Study |
1937-1939 |
1 | Retirement Congratulations
Letters |
1965 |
1 | Sabbatical Leave (ranching
in Oregon research) |
1950-1951 |
1 | Sabbatical Leave
(Sweden) |
1956-1957 |
1 | State Institutional Library
Services Advisory Council (includes minutes) |
1967 |
Series II: Research and Lecture Notes, 1936-1972Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
1 | Advanced Cataloging
218 |
1936 |
1 | Bibliography 220
A |
1936 |
1 | Economics 140-Elementary
Statistics |
1936 |
1 | History of Libraries
215 |
1936 |
1 | Political Science
200 |
1936 |
1 | Freshman Lecture-Business
Administration |
1937 |
1 | Librarianship
203 |
1938 |
1 | Study of Correlation Between
Grades and Library Books Drawn |
1938 |
1 | Junior College Library
Administration |
1938 |
1 | Scandinavian Materials in
U.S. Libraries |
1939 |
2 | Notes for Articles on
Library Topics |
1945-1947 |
2 | Notes for Booklist
Columns |
1955-1964 |
2 | Notes on the History of OSU
Library |
1966 |
2 | Notes on Visits to
Scandinavian Libraries |
1969 |
2 | Notes on World Council of
Churches and Its Outlook on Contemporary Social Issues |
1972 |
2 | Notes for Ida Kidder
Article |
undated |
2 | Notes for
" Propaganda
Paper" |
undated |
2 | Notes from an Unidentified
Book on University Library Design |
undated |
2 | Notes on Pacific Northwest
Library Resources |
undated |
2 | Notes on the Merton College
Library-Oxford |
undated |
2 | Notes on
Education/Librarianship After World War II |
undated |
2 | General Library
Topics |
undated |
Series III: Reports and Studies, 1936-1968Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
2 | Report on the General
Education Board Fund for the Development of the Bibliographical and
Reference Book Resources of Vanderbilt University Academic
Library |
1936 |
2 | Western and Northwestern
University Libraries Survey |
1936-1937 |
2 | Survey Results: Montana,
Idaho, Nevada, South/North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming |
|
2 | Report to Library Committee
on Book Allocation Funds (Report compiled by Carlson for Univ. of
Florida) |
1940-1941 |
2 | Monthly Reference Reports
(OSU Library) |
1952-1955 |
5 | Draft Report: A Study and
Analysis, with Recommendations, of Library Services and Facilities in the
State of Oregon Correctional Institutions, the Mental Institutions, and
Those for the Physically Handicapped (Handwritten by Carlson) |
1967 |
2 | A Report on Institutional
Library Services in Oregon
Survey results and form-included.
|
1967 |
2 | Survey Results/Informational
Materials |
|
Box | ||
2 | Columbia Park Hospital and
Training Center |
1967 |
2 | Dammasch State
Hospital |
1967 |
2 | Eastern Oregon State
Hospital |
1967 |
2 | Fairview Hospital and
Training Center |
1967 |
2 | Hillcrest School for
Girls |
1967 |
2 | MacLaren School for
Boys |
1963-1967 |
2 | Oregon State Correctional
Institution |
1967 |
2 | Oregon State
Hospital |
1967 |
2 | Oregon State
Penitentiary |
1967 |
2 | Oregon State Schools for
the Deaf/Blind |
1967 |
2 | Informational
Materials |
|
Box | ||
2 | Library Services and
Construction Act
Documents relating to both the federal and state
legislation that prompted the Institutional Library Services Study.
|
1966-1968 |
2 | Standards for Institutional
Libraries |
1963-1966 |
2 | Washington State
Institutional Libraries |
1963-1966 |
Series IV: Speeches, 1932-1971Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
2 | Speeches |
1932-1942, 1945-1948, 1951-1971, undated |
Series V: Articles, 1932-1977Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
3 | Article Draft:
History of the OSU Library,
by William H. Carlson (Written for
The Encyclopedia of Library and
Information Science) |
1975-1977 |
3 | Articles by
Carlson |
1932-1969 |
3 | Book and Reviews by
Carlson |
1945-1964 |
3 | General Library
Topics |
1940-1966 |
3 | International
Libraries |
1946-1958 |
3 | The Library
Profession |
1944-1964 |
3 | Non-Library
Topics |
1947-1956 |
3 | Research Resources in
Libraries |
1941-1957 |
3 | Special Collections and
Manuscripts |
1934-1963 |
3 | University Library
Topics |
1941-1966 |
Series VI: Publications, 1924-1973Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
3 | Addresses and
Speeches |
1937-1946 |
3 | Annual Reports from
University and Public Libraries |
1938-1955 |
3 | Book Collection
Guides |
1951-1957 |
3 | Library Association
Conference Proceedings and Meetings |
1945-1973 |
3 | General |
1948-1967 |
3 | General Historical
Topics |
1938-1960 |
3 |
" Libraries In the Southwest:
Their Growth, Strengths, Needs" University of
California |
|
3 | Library, Occasional Paper
No. 3 |
1955 |
3 | Library Periodicals and
Journals |
1947-1964 |
3 | Library Science
Education |
1944-1952 |
3 | Materials Relating to
General Higher Education Topics |
1935-1958 |
3 |
" Nebraska Voter's
Handbook"
Carlson helped to write and compile the contents of this
handbook as a Research Assistant at the Nebraska Legislative Reference
Bureau.
|
1924 |
3 | Scandinavian Materials (not
in English) |
1946-1958 |
3 | Scandinavian Materials (in
English) |
1953-1965 |
3 | University Library Staff
Newsletters (University of Washington, Columbia University) |
1942-1957 |
Series VII: Brochures/Pamphlets/Handbooks, 1957-1973Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
4 | Library Furniture
Vendors |
1966 |
4 | OSU
Press/Personal |
1957-1973 |
4 | Public Libraries |
1966 |
4 | University
Libraries |
1965-1967 |
Series VIII: Book Drafts, 1965-1966Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
4 | First Draft,
The Library of OSU: Its Origins,
Management, and Growth
|
1966 |
4 | First Draft,
Havd I Hela Mintid-(First
title for
In a Grand and Awful Time: Essays
from the Librarian's Desk On 20th Century Man and His
Books) |
undated |
4 | Proof Copy,
In a Grand and Awful
Time
|
1965 |
5 | Final Draft,
In a Grand and Awful
Time
|
1965 |
Series IX: Book, 1938Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
4 |
The Development and Financial Support
of Seven Western and Northwestern State University
Libraries
two copies
|
1938 |
Series X: Newspaper Clippings, 1945-1967Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
4 | OSU
Library-Carlson |
1945-1947 |
4 | State Legislation Relating
to Correctional Facilities |
1967 |
4 | Student Free-Speech
Movement |
1965 |
4 | University Libraries other
Than OSU |
1966 |
Series XI: Photographs, 1947-1965Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
6 | Dodgen Family, Other
Friends-Relatives |
1961-1965 |
6 | OSU Library |
1951-1962 |
6 | Portraits of
Carlson |
1947-1953 |
6 | University and Public
Libraries: Exterior Views of Buildings |
1951-1962 |
6 | University and Public
Libraries: General Views |
1960 |
6 | University and Public
Libraries: Images Organized by Library Use Areas |
1959-1962 |
6 | University of North
Dakota/Miami University Libraries |
1951-1963 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Academic libraries.
- Institution libraries--Oregon.
- Libraries--United States.
- Library science.
Personal Names
- Carlson, William Hugh, 1898-
Corporate Names
- Oregon State University. Library.
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs.