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This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 93.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 74400 items) |
| Abstract | Prior to 1850 the university library was a very small collection of books. The student debating societies, the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies, each maintained a larger library made up of volumes purchased by the student members. Not until 1885-1886 were the society libraries incorporated into the university library. Until 1901 the responsibility of operating the library was assigned to a faculty member, who worked in cooperation with members of the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies. Louis Round Wilson, who was university librarian from 1901 to 1932, was the first librarian to devote his full time to maintaining and developing the library. Even in Wilson's day, however, the collections were not centralized. Because of space constraints in the main library, numerous departmental libraries grew up. Two of these, the Law Library and the Health Sciences Library, became administratively separate. Today the University Librarian oversees the main and special library collections and co-administers a number of departmental libraries. Records include correspondence and other files relating to the development and administration of the university's library collections as well as to facilities for housing them, particularly the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library and the Walter Royal Davis Library. Also included are files pertaining to library staff, library automation, and other matters. University librarians whose correspondence figures prominently include Louis Round Wilson, Charles Everett Rush, Jerrold Orne, and James F. Govan. |
| Creator | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Office of the University Librarian. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Related Collections
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Historical Information
The library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill grew from a small collection of books donated to the university by interested citizens of the state and from the collections of the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies, which were purchased and maintained by the student members of those societies. Prior to 1850, the university library was housed in various locations on the campus, including a room in South Building, and at one time, a room in the president's residence. The societies kept their libraries in the spaces assigned to them, first in separate rooms in Old East, and eventually in their new quarters on the top floors of New East and New West.
In 1850 the Smith Building (now the Playmakers Theatre) was built to house the university's library collection, but it was not until 1885-1886 that the libraries of the two literary societies were transferred to Smith. Ownership of the volumes remained with the societies, however, and the books were shelved separately from each other and from the university's book collection. In 1907 a new library building (later named Hill Hall) was erected with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. Matching funds were contributed by alumni and friends of the university for the purchase of books. At the same time, title to the volumes in the Dialectic and Philanthropic libraries was transferred to the university and the three library collections were finally merged.
The Carnegie Library housed the library's collections until 1929, when a new central library (Wilson Library) was built. The latter, named for Louis Round Wilson in 1956, became the special collections library in 1984, after the opening of Walter Royal Davis Library as the main library serving the university community.
Until 1901 the duties and responsibilities of operating the library were assigned to various members of the faculty who worked in cooperation with students from the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies. In 1901 Louis Round Wilson was appointed university librarian, a position he retained until 1932. Wilson was the first librarian to devote himself solely to the growth and development of the library, though other members of the faculty had held that title.
The persons who have served as university librarian since 1901 are as follows:
| 1901-1932 | Louis Round Wilson |
| 1932-1938 | Robert Bingham Downs |
| 1938-1940 | Carl White |
| 1940-1941 | Olan Victor Cook, Acting |
| 1941-1954 | Charles Everett Rush |
| 1954-1957 | Andrew Harliss Horn |
| 1957-1972 | Jerrold Orne |
| 1972-1973 | Louise McGwigan Hall, Acting |
| 1973-1992 | James F. Govan |
| January-May 1987 | Joe A. Hewitt, Acting |
| 1993-30 June 2004 | Joe A. Hewitt, Associate Provost for University Libraries and Director, Academic Affairs Library |
| 1 July-19 September 2004 | Larry P. Alford, Interim |
| 20 September 2004- | Sarah Michalak, Associate Provost for University Libraries and University Librarian |
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Scope and Content
Records include correspondence and other files relating to the development and administration of the university's library collections as well as to facilities for housing them, particularly the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library and the Walter Royal Davis Library. Also included are files pertaining to library staff, library automation, and other matters. University librarians whose correspondence figures prominently include Louis Round Wilson, Charles Everett Rush, Jerrold Orne, and James F. Govan.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. General Administrative Files, 1894, 1904-1995.
This series includes the files of the librarian that do not relate directly to any of the departments or divisions of the library. They are general files reflecting the duties and responsibilities of the librarian in relation to the Administrative Board of the Library, the administrative officials of the university, and other administrative units within the university. The series also contains the librarian's records pertaining to organizations that are external to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is divided into nine subseries.
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Subseries 1.1. Library, General.
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Subseries 1.2. Academic Affairs, Division of.
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Subseries 1.3. Faculty Affairs.
These records contain the librarian's files relating to the standing and special committees of the faculty.
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Subseries 1.4. Graduate School.
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Subseries 1.5. Health Affairs, Division of.
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Subseries 1.6. Student Affairs, Division of.
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Subseries 1.7. Trustee Affairs.
| Box 1:18 |
Committee on Real Property, 1976-1977 #40047, Subseries: "1.7. Trustee Affairs." Box 1:18(see also Buildings: Davis Library in Series 1.1.) |
Visiting Committee, [1911]; 1944-1947; undated #40047, Subseries: "1.7. Trustee Affairs." Box 1:18 |
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Subseries 1.8. Development And University Relations, Division
of.
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Subseries 1.9. Outside Organizations.