Department of State Library Services records
Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 2015-30
Scope and Contents
The Department of State Library Services records consist primarily of correspondence, budget documents and reports.
Dates
- 1962-1981
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
No special restrictions unless otherwise specified.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright is in the public domain unless otherwise specified. We reserve the right to restrict reproduction of materials due to preservation concerns.
Biographical / Historical
In 1962, the Rhode Island Library Association requested the establishment of a Legislative Commission on Libraries to study existing library laws and recommend legislation pertaining to libraries. The resulting Commission on Libraries submitted its report to the General Assembly in 1964 with 24 recommendations embodied in draft legislation to amend Title 29, Libraries, of the RI General Laws. At the same time, the federal Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), first authorized in 1962, required that each state have a state library agency to receive LSCA funds.
1964 Governor John Chafee signs legislation creating the Department of State Library Services (DSLS). Legislation includes grant-in-aid to cities and towns (25 cents per capita), construction reimbursement, and designates regional library centers (Barrington, Providence, Westerly), a principal public library (Providence), and a special research center (Brown University Library). Elizabeth Myer is appointed director and is the first woman to lead a state department. Agency has 18 full time employees, expenditures of $926,000. DSLS is located in Roger Williams Building, Hayes Street, Providence.
1965 Standards developed and voted by the RI Library Association are activated for the state. Reauthorized Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) shifts focus of DSLS from promoting public library services to coordinating various types of library services.
1967 Library of Congress designates a RI Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at DSLS. DSLS moves to 95 Davis Street, Providence and remains there for 21 years.
1968 Network of five interrelated library systems established to coordinate library resources on a cooperative basis.
1971 URI Graduate Library School is accredited by the American Library Association.
1972 Senator Claiborne Pell advocates for a White House Conference on Libraries on the Senate floor as “Overdue, Urgently needed.”
1974 DSLS establishes direct linkage through the New England Library Information Network (NELINET) to the national bibliographic data bank at the Ohio College Library Center.
1975 Jewel Drickamer becomes the second director of DSLS.
1976 DSLS has 31 employees and a budget of $1,600,000.
Summer Reading Program for children 6-12 years old launches, to maintain reading skills over the summer.
1978 Governor J. Joseph Garrahy selects Victoria Lederberg to plan a Conference on Library and Information Services to recommend improvements for library and information services.
1979 Interlibrary deliveries begin through contracts with regional library centers. Faye Zipkowitz is appointed as the third director of DSLS.
1980 Bruce Daniels is appointed as the fourth director of DSLS. RI Library Film Cooperative is established into law. RI Library Trustees Manual is published, compiled and edited by Frank Iacono.
1983 Computerization of communications functions begins.
Excerpt from: Office of Library & Information Services History webpage (http://www.olis.ri.gov/aboutus/history.php)
1964 Governor John Chafee signs legislation creating the Department of State Library Services (DSLS). Legislation includes grant-in-aid to cities and towns (25 cents per capita), construction reimbursement, and designates regional library centers (Barrington, Providence, Westerly), a principal public library (Providence), and a special research center (Brown University Library). Elizabeth Myer is appointed director and is the first woman to lead a state department. Agency has 18 full time employees, expenditures of $926,000. DSLS is located in Roger Williams Building, Hayes Street, Providence.
1965 Standards developed and voted by the RI Library Association are activated for the state. Reauthorized Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) shifts focus of DSLS from promoting public library services to coordinating various types of library services.
1967 Library of Congress designates a RI Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at DSLS. DSLS moves to 95 Davis Street, Providence and remains there for 21 years.
1968 Network of five interrelated library systems established to coordinate library resources on a cooperative basis.
1971 URI Graduate Library School is accredited by the American Library Association.
1972 Senator Claiborne Pell advocates for a White House Conference on Libraries on the Senate floor as “Overdue, Urgently needed.”
1974 DSLS establishes direct linkage through the New England Library Information Network (NELINET) to the national bibliographic data bank at the Ohio College Library Center.
1975 Jewel Drickamer becomes the second director of DSLS.
1976 DSLS has 31 employees and a budget of $1,600,000.
Summer Reading Program for children 6-12 years old launches, to maintain reading skills over the summer.
1978 Governor J. Joseph Garrahy selects Victoria Lederberg to plan a Conference on Library and Information Services to recommend improvements for library and information services.
1979 Interlibrary deliveries begin through contracts with regional library centers. Faye Zipkowitz is appointed as the third director of DSLS.
1980 Bruce Daniels is appointed as the fourth director of DSLS. RI Library Film Cooperative is established into law. RI Library Trustees Manual is published, compiled and edited by Frank Iacono.
1983 Computerization of communications functions begins.
Excerpt from: Office of Library & Information Services History webpage (http://www.olis.ri.gov/aboutus/history.php)
Extent
2.40 Cubic Feet (2 record cartons)
Custodial History
The records were created by the Rhode Island Department of State Library Services. In 2015, Kate Wells, Rhode Island Collections Librarian at the Providence Public Library contacted the Rhode Island State Archives to relay that she had found two boxes of records of the Department of State Library Services and would like to donate them to the Rhode Island State Archives. On May 12, 2015 the records were transferred from the Providence Public Library to the Rhode Island State Archives.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Records were donated to the State Archives by Kate Wells, Rhode Island Collections Librarian at the Providence Public Library on May 12, 2015.
Accruals
No accruals are anticipated at this time.
Inventory
Folder Title Dates
Box 1
1-2. Construction Agreements and Forms 1964-1969
3 Accounting 1965-1966
4 Book-a-thon 1976
5 Children’s Programs and Services 1968
6 Central Book Processing Center 1962-1975
7 Book Workshops 1964-1966
8 Brown University Libraries 1964-1977
9 Budget 1964-1977
10 Library of Congress Classification System 1967-1968
11 Certification of Library Personnel undated
12 Complaints 1965-1967
13 Compliments 1966-1968
14-15. Construction 1965-1968
16 Consulting 1966
17 Evaluation of Collections 1965
18 Demographic Survey 1972
19 Directories 1960, 1968, 1976
20 Document Conservation Aug-76
21 Five-Year Long-Range Program 1972
22 Foreign Language Materials 1972
23 Forms 1965-1966
24 Future Role of Providence Public Library 1967
25 Gift Policy 1965
26 U.S. Government Documents 1965
27 Governor of Rhode Island correspondence 1966-1981
28 John A. Humphry 1964-1966
29 Interrelated Systems #1 1966-1967
30 Interrelated Systems #2 1966-1971
31 Rhode Island Law 1966
32 Legislation 1964-1968
33 The Mailbag 1966-1967
34 Media Coordination Committee 1972
35 General Meetings 1965-1977
Box 2
1 Miscellaneous 1971-1976
2 Miscellaneous 1964-1970
3 Monthly Reports 1966-1967
4 New York State Plan 1967
5 News Release 1966
6 Operating Methods 1964
7 Pawtucket Public Library 1962-1967
8 Policy Statements undated
9 Providence Library Council 1964-1965
10 Preliminary Drafts for State-wide Library Program 1964-1965
11 Principal Public Library Coordinator 1968-1979
12 Principal Grant 1975
13 Principal Miscellaneous Services 1966
14 Questionnaires 1976, 1980
15 Processing Center 1971-1975
16 Public Library Definition 1964
17 Barrington Public Library 1965-1979
18 Pawtucket Public Library 1968-1980
19 Warwick Public Library 1966-1981
20 Westerly Public Library 1964-1975
21 Registration 1965-1966
22 Providence Public Library Monthly Progress Reports 1966-1967
23 Reports by Regional Library Centers 1966
24 Regional Library Coordinator 1975-1976
25 Regional Library Council 1965
26 Reports 1964-1966
27 Areas of Responsibility undated
28 Publicity 1966
29 Rhode Island College 1967
30 University of Rhode Island 1967
31 Rules and Regulations 1964-1965
32 Services 1964
33 Rotating Book Collection Service 1966
34 Standards 1965-1974
35 Statistics 1965-1975
36 Statistics 1966-1967
37 Speeches 1966
38 “Thinking Network” 1971
39 TWX 1966-1968
Box 1
1-2. Construction Agreements and Forms 1964-1969
3 Accounting 1965-1966
4 Book-a-thon 1976
5 Children’s Programs and Services 1968
6 Central Book Processing Center 1962-1975
7 Book Workshops 1964-1966
8 Brown University Libraries 1964-1977
9 Budget 1964-1977
10 Library of Congress Classification System 1967-1968
11 Certification of Library Personnel undated
12 Complaints 1965-1967
13 Compliments 1966-1968
14-15. Construction 1965-1968
16 Consulting 1966
17 Evaluation of Collections 1965
18 Demographic Survey 1972
19 Directories 1960, 1968, 1976
20 Document Conservation Aug-76
21 Five-Year Long-Range Program 1972
22 Foreign Language Materials 1972
23 Forms 1965-1966
24 Future Role of Providence Public Library 1967
25 Gift Policy 1965
26 U.S. Government Documents 1965
27 Governor of Rhode Island correspondence 1966-1981
28 John A. Humphry 1964-1966
29 Interrelated Systems #1 1966-1967
30 Interrelated Systems #2 1966-1971
31 Rhode Island Law 1966
32 Legislation 1964-1968
33 The Mailbag 1966-1967
34 Media Coordination Committee 1972
35 General Meetings 1965-1977
Box 2
1 Miscellaneous 1971-1976
2 Miscellaneous 1964-1970
3 Monthly Reports 1966-1967
4 New York State Plan 1967
5 News Release 1966
6 Operating Methods 1964
7 Pawtucket Public Library 1962-1967
8 Policy Statements undated
9 Providence Library Council 1964-1965
10 Preliminary Drafts for State-wide Library Program 1964-1965
11 Principal Public Library Coordinator 1968-1979
12 Principal Grant 1975
13 Principal Miscellaneous Services 1966
14 Questionnaires 1976, 1980
15 Processing Center 1971-1975
16 Public Library Definition 1964
17 Barrington Public Library 1965-1979
18 Pawtucket Public Library 1968-1980
19 Warwick Public Library 1966-1981
20 Westerly Public Library 1964-1975
21 Registration 1965-1966
22 Providence Public Library Monthly Progress Reports 1966-1967
23 Reports by Regional Library Centers 1966
24 Regional Library Coordinator 1975-1976
25 Regional Library Council 1965
26 Reports 1964-1966
27 Areas of Responsibility undated
28 Publicity 1966
29 Rhode Island College 1967
30 University of Rhode Island 1967
31 Rules and Regulations 1964-1965
32 Services 1964
33 Rotating Book Collection Service 1966
34 Standards 1965-1974
35 Statistics 1965-1975
36 Statistics 1966-1967
37 Speeches 1966
38 “Thinking Network” 1971
39 TWX 1966-1968
- state government records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Source
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Rhode Island State Archives Repository
