Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Peter Hanff Peter Hanff: Books, Bibliography, and The Bancroft Library Interviews conducted by Martin Meeker in 2017 Copyright © 2019 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley ii Since 1954 the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Peter Hanff dated January 22, 2019. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-commercial and properly cited. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to The Bancroft Library, Head of Public Services, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should follow instructions available online at http://ucblib.link/OHC-rights. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Peter Hanff, “Peter Hanff: Books, Bibliography, and The Bancroft Library” conducted by Martin Meeker in 2017, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2019. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iii Peter Hanff Photograph courtesy of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Inc., 2019 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iv Peter Hanff is Deputy Director of The Bancroft Library at the University of California. Hanff was born in Florida in 1944 and then moved with his family to Southern California in 1956. He attended the University of California Santa Barbara as an undergraduate and then the University of California Los Angeles where he earned his MLS. After an internship at the Library of Congress and a year and a half as assistant to the coordinator of information systems there, he was selected as a rare-book fellow at Indiana University’s Lilly Library. Hanff then accepted a position as reference librarian at The Bancroft Library in 1970. Hanff worked in various positions and on a variety of projects over the years, including as Interim Director and later Acting Director of The Bancroft Library. Hanff also is a noted scholar of the author Frank Baum and his series of Oz books. In this oral history, Peter Hanff discusses: his education background and early interest in young adult literature and book collecting; the transformation of library and archival work from the 1960s to the present; the administration, personnel, and collections of The Bancroft Library; and his contributions to the documentation of the works of Frank Baum and other authors. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley v Table of Contents — Peter Hanff Interview 1: January 6, 2017 Hour 1 1 Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1944 — Father civilian employee of the United States Army — Family roots/lineage — Growing up in South Florida — Moved to LA in 1956 — Father’s love of books — Father started reading to him at age three — Reading and watching the Wizard of Oz — Christian and Jewish influences in religious and cultural upbringing — Middle class, conservative values — Parents being Republicans — Transition from Florida to California — His mother’s love of gardening — House in California as “entertainment center” — Went to Polytechnic High School — Joining a book collecting club in high school — Bibliographic description and analysis — Thoughts on the development and writing of the Wizard of Oz Hour 2 20 Decision to attend UC Santa Barbara — Not applying to UCLA because it was “in my backyard” — Not applying to UC Berkeley because the curriculum for an English major was “too old fashioned” — Having no interest in partying or surfing at UC Santa Barbara — Reasons for not moving to Isla Vista — Living in the dorms for four years — Education at UC Santa Barbara — Majoring in English and minoring in history — Reasons for not writing thesis on The Wizard of Oz — Friends and fellow students opinions on collecting books — College friendships — Wanting to attend library school after senior year instead of pursuing a PhD — Masters of Library Science at UCLA — Fundamental concepts of book acquisition — Coming up with acquisition programs with limited resources — Moving to a Library of Congress internship after finishing MLS in 1967 — Special recruitment process for Library of Congress internship — Lessons learned during internship — Description of the library information systems at the time of internship — Moving to Lilly Library at Indiana University — Training at Lilly Library. Interview 2: January 18, 2017 Hour 1 35 Being a fellow at Indiana University — Visiting many private libraries during two years with the Library of Congress — Job opening at the Bancroft Library — Driving across the country to interview at Berkeley — Interviewing at many other universities — Relationship with Judy Baker — Herman W. “Fritz” Liebert — Interviewing for job at the Bancroft Library — Debate over a merger of rare books and special collections — Responsibilities as Reference Librarian — Various cataloging methods — Integrating the Bancroft Library method of Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vi cataloging with the Rare Book Collection method of cataloging — Digitizing catalogs — The appearance of the Bancroft Library at first glance — The poor organization of the library upon first arrival — Description of the Edward H. Heller Reading Room and layout of Bancroft Library at the time — Lax security measures — Undergraduates not permitted to use the rare and special books — System of organization upon arrival — The Bancroft Library’s endowments — Working with the Regional Oral History Office — Becoming assistant director with a specialization in rare books — Faculty’s role in developing the collection of rare books Hour 2 55 Ending access to the stacks — Moving into new offices — Bancroft Library Director Jim Hart creating positions of coordinators — Hanff as coordinator of technical services — Jim Hart’s death in 1990 — Interim Director appointment after Hart’s death — Importance of technical services in the Bancroft Library — Typical professional educational background of employees — Job description of director of the Bancroft Library during Hart years — Lawrence Clark Powell’s approach at UCLA — Job as technical services coordinator — Working with different departments in the library Interview 3: February 15, 2017 Hour 1 70 Council of the Friends of the Bancroft Library — Members of the council — Robert Honeyman collection — The endowments that Hart set up during his time with the Bancroft Library — Mentor relationship with Jim Hart — Largest gift from Marshall Steel Foundation — Donation from Jean Stone — Development goals of the Bancroft Library — Visiting major collectors — Relationship between the Friends Council and the Library Development Office — Corporate status of the Friends Council — Loss of state funding for staff positions — Major budget crises at Berkeley Hour 2 88 Circumstances of budget crises — Temporary positions at the Bancroft Library — Necessity for permanent positions — Evolution of job categories at the Bancroft Library — Hanff’s role on the NRLF Building Committee — Intercampus Library Facility North — Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 — Planning for modern Gardner Stacks — Stacks in the Bancroft Library — Construction of the Bancroft Library — Hanff as acting director during the development planning of the project — Hanff’s role in the design of the building — Suggestions for the new library from staff — The new reference room — Results from the current building study — Building continuing to “meet the needs” Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vii Interview 4: June 20, 2017 Hour 1 104 Library thefts in the late seventies and early eighties — Rare book and manuscript security committee — Taking bookplating more seriously after string of thefts — 1983 Oberlin conference on library theft — Theft at the Bancroft Library