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COLLEGE and RESEARCH LIBRARIES the State Library Had Had in the I05 Years of Its Existence

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COLLEGE and RESEARCH LIBRARIES the State Library Had Had in the I05 Years of Its Existence Harold L. Leupp, Administrator Harold Lewis Leupp is one of the last tributions. Harold Leupp is primarily an of a noted array of librarians who have re­ administrator, although he has an exception­ tired from the active administration of uni­ ally clear understanding of scholarship and versity libraries during the last ten years. research. He makes no claims in his own During this period, most of the larger uni­ behalf of productive scholarship, insofar as versity libraries have seen the appointment publications are concerned. He did adminis­ of new leaders. The list includes such out­ ter and develop a great research library-one standing university libraries as Harvard, which stands among the three or four great Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Pennsylvania, university libraries of this country, if the Johns Hopkins, Michigan, Chicago, Missouri, comparison is based on the services rendered. Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, In a study of the holdings of scientific Wisconsin, Minnesota, and now California. periodicals as ascertained by a check of the To this list might be added a number of research libraries not connected with uni­ versities, such as the New York Public Library, Library of Congress, and the New­ berry Library. It is too early to evaluate the services to scholars and students which these librarians have rendered. The group includes some who were graduates of iibrary schools; others who came into the profession without -special training· but who have made notable contribu­ tions; many who were productive scholars in their own right; others who had a clear understanding and appreciation of scholarship but whose chief contributions were in the development of services-present and poten­ tial-which their libraries rendered to the faculty and students, to scholar.ship, and to research. / During the period of activities of this group, research libraries increased in size almost to the point of embarrassment. Serv­ ices were greatly developed but still failed to keep pace with increasing demands. Many problems, not fully solved, such as photo­ HAROLD L. LEUPP graphic reproduction, policies of cooperative acquisition, and new types of buildings, had Union List of Serials, the library of the their origins in studies and experiments made University of California was found to be by librarians who have now retired. Pos­ among the three or four outstanding libraries sibly the chief contribution of this group was in this country. The coll~ctions at Berkeley the increased services rendered, together with will serve scholars for many decades to major emphasis- on use rather than on rou­ come and will stand as an enduring monu­ tines. During this period, the Association of ment to the accomplishments of Harold Research Libraries and the Association of Leupp. College and Reference Libraries were or­ The most important feature of the library ganized. of the University of California is not in the Against the background which is barely size and completeness of its holdings, how­ touched upon in the preceding paragraphs, ever, but in the exceptional use made of its can be outlined the services of those who, in facilities. The library has been administered far different ways, have made exceptional con- with special emphasis on the needs of its SEPTEMBER~ 1945 353 clientele and the methods by which such . tainty. We knew he would join the Army needs could be satisfied. in 1917, and he did. In a year he was pro­ Some years ago a scholar who had been moted from the rank of second lieutenant to surveying the services of university libraries the rank of captain. His great disappoint­ stated in personal conversation that the fac­ ment, as any of us would have guessed, was ulty of the University of California was that he was considered too valuable in the receiving a higher standard of service from training program to be sent abroad. His its library than any other university he had appointment in 1910 as associate librarian at yet visited. He also added that the faculty the University of California was followed at Berkeley did not appreciate that fact. The by his appointment as chief librarian in 1919. contributions made to the war effort in the Harold Leupp is direct, arriving at the use of the library by government agencies on heart of any situation without involving him­ the West Coast may not be described at self in ramifications. His straightforward, present. In the opinion of the writer, they frank approach has at times proved discon­ were far greater than the services rendered certing to those of his colleagues who dislike by any library during the First World War, to have their lack of logic and slowness in with possibly one or two exceptions. thinking made apparent. On the other hand, California was one of the first to organize this approach has enabled him to solve many a photographic laboratory on a large scale. questions of administration which are still This laboratory has .been consistently self­ disturbing some of ·us. supporting. In 1942, at the time of my latest · Harold is incisive; he 'is perfectly willing visit, I was astonished to find that the equip­ to pick flaws in a person's logic and to point ment at California was more complete and out inconsistencies in others as well as in the volume of output was greater than himself. This ability has resulted in close similar installations and output at any li­ friendships with a few who can take· as well brary I had seen; with the exception of the as give. Harold Leupp is not an appeaser; Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Incidentally, this neither has he been a publicist in a journal­ laboratory is responsible for much of the very istic sense. considerable service California has rendered These virtues or faults, however one may to war agencies. regard them, may account for the intense My association with Harold Leupp com­ loyalty of his friends. His personal qualifi­ menced in 1904, when he graduated from the cations were best described, in my opinion, by New York State Library School and became Arthur Low Bailey, a colleague who wrote assistant reference librarian at the John me many y~ars ago: "Harold Leupp ap­ Crerar Library. T~e friendship which orig­ proaches about as close to my idea of a inated in those yeilts in Chicago has never gentleman as anyone I have ever known." lessened. Harold was so consistent that his Would that we had more like him! reactions could be predicted with fair cer- CHARLES H. BR9WN Herbert S. Hirshberg in a New Field The announcement of Herbert S. Hirsh­ the Cleveland Public Library staff, he went berg's retirement as director of libraries at to Toledo in 1914 as head librarian. Here Western. Reserve University recalls his many he is remembered for his excellent job of contribution'"s in the library field. In a library selling the library to the community. He put career covering four decades, _he has served on the first library week held in Toledo, in in many capacities in libraries of the East cooperation with the advertising club and the and Midwest. Specifically, he is known for Chamber of Commerce. The community ac­ his leadership in Ohio where he has served cepted his development program, and library various institutions for thirty-seven years. service in Toledo greatly expanded. It is difficult to cite Mr. Hirshberg's con­ The pioneer in Mr. Hirshberg's character tributions in the order of their value, but was best illustrated when in 1922 he was he seems to have been drawn to positions given the opportunity to become Obio's state requiring pioneer efforts. From service on librarian. He was the first trained librarian 354 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES the state library had had in the I05 years of its existence. In view of this it is remark­ able that the professional staff he organized is considered one of the strongest the library has ever had. He became well known, too, for the reorganization and efficient execution of the various state library functions, and directed his efforts especially towards re­ moving libraries from political control. He strongly urged libraries of the state to change to school district library units. At that time most of the public libraries of the state were municipal libraries, with boards appointed by the mayors. Appointments to such boards were often made on a partisan basis, and this was carried through in the selection of the library staff. Under the school district type, board appointments are made by the board of education and partisanship usually does not enter into them. Ohio is benefiting from this policy today, for the majority of its .libraries have come to be of this kind and are relatively free from politics. HERBERT s. HIRSHBERG Mr. Hirshberg carried the knowledge and experience gained at Columbus to Akron, Hirshberg was concerned with library archi­ as its librarian, and then to the. deanship of tecture and building planning. Branches in the library school of Western Reserve U ni­ Toledo, various libraries in the state which versity where he imparted it to graduating he helped plan when state librarian, and the students-students now dispersed over the centralized and remodeled library building of country. At the unfversity he also held the Western Reserve University stand to his position of director of libraries. credit. One of his contributions to library As dean he attracted into the profession literature stems from experience in this field. more men than had enrolled in the school In I930 he wrote Elements of the Library in its entire previous 'history. Under his di­ Plan, which was published by the American rection the curriculum was revised; courses Library Association as one of its Manuals of in administration and reference were broad­ Library Economy.
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