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 Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 4.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1,200 items) |
Abstract | Susan Grey Akers was dean of the School of Library Science at the University of North Carolina from 1932 until 1954. In 1950-1951, Akers served as a library science consultant in Tokyo, Japan. In 1954-1955, she was visiting lecturer in library science at the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. The collection includes correspondence and related papers, diaries, books and articles, biographical material about Akers, picture postcards, clippings, and photographs documenting Akers's education and career as a librarian, library science professor, and dean of the School of Library Science at the University of North Carolina. Also documented is Akers's scholarly research on library cataloging and her travels in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Iran. The diaries Akers kept while in Japan, 1950-1951, and Iran, 1954-1955, describe her social life and her work in libraries and library schools, as well as her travels. The collection contains many postcards, about half of which are picture postcards of library buildings. |
Creator | Akers, Susan Grey, 1889- |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
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.
Susan Grey Akers was dean of the School of Library Science at the University of North Carolina from 1932 until 1954. A native of Kentucky, Akers received a Ph.D. from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago in 1932. She had worked in public libraries and in college and university libraries before receiving her Ph.D. and her appointment to the faculty at the University of North Carolina. In 1950-1951, Akers served as a library science consultant in Tokyo, Japan. In 1954-1955, she was visiting lecturer in library science at the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
1889 | Born on 3 April in Richmond, Ky. Parents: Clara Elizabeth Harris and James Tazewell Akers |
1909 | A.B., University of Kentucky |
1909-1911 | Taught in public schools in Murray, Ky., and Birmingham, Ala. |
1911-1912 | Assistant librarian, public library, Louisville, Ky. |
1913 | Certificate, Library School, University of Wisconsin |
1913-1920 | Librarian, Department of Hygiene, Wellesley College |
1920-1922 | Cataloger, University of North Dakota Library |
1922-1928 | Instructor and assistant professor, Library School, University of Wisconsin, and visitor, Wisconsin Library Commission |
1932 | Ph.D., Graduate Library School, University of Chicago |
1931-1932 | Associate professor, University of North Carolina School of Library Science |
1932-1935 | Professor and acting director, University of North Carolina School of Library Science |
1942-1954 | Professor and dean, University of North Carolina School of Library Science |
1954-1984 | Professor and dean emeritus, University of North Carolina School of Library Science |
1950-1951 | American Consultant to Library Science Workshop, Civil, Information, and Education Section, Department of the U.S. Army, Tokyo, Japan |
1954-1955 | Visiting lecturer in Library Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
1984 | Died in Chapel Hill, N.C., on 30 January. |
Papers of Susan Grey Akers include correspondence and related papers, diaries, books and articles, biographical material about Akers, picture postcards, clippings, and photographs. The collection chiefly documents Akers's education and career as a librarian, library science professor, and dean of the School of Library Science at the University of North Carolina. The books and articles are mostly scholarly works on library cataloging. Also documented are Akers's travels in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Iran.
The diaries Akers kept while in Japan, 1950-1951, and Iran, 1954-1955, describe her social life and her work in libraries and library schools, as well as her travels. The collection contains many postcards, about half of which are picture postcards of library buildings.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological.
Correspondence and related items, such as school records, of Susan Grey Akers. Most of the papers found here are related to Akers's education or career. There are also a few family letters and personal letters from friends and colleagues.
Arrangement: chronological.
Diaries kept by Susan G. Akers when she was traveling and living abroad and a record, 1957-1983, of family Christmases. The copy filed after each diary is a photocopy on acid-free paper.
Arrangement: by genre.
Books and articles written by Susan Grey Akers, chiefly relating to library cataloging.
Arrangement: by subject.
Material about Susan Grey Akers and other members of her family.
Arrangement: by subject.
Picture postcards collected by Susan Grey Akers. About half are pictures of library buildings. The rest are mostly pictures of places Akers lived or visited.
Arrangement: by subject.
Newspaper clippings collected by Susan Grey Akers. Most of the clippings on Chapel Hill history are from the Chapel Hill Weekly; most of those on North Carolina history are from the Greensboro Daily News.
Folder 60 |
Chapel Hill History #04774, Series: "5. Clippings, 1940s-1970s." Folder 60 |
Folder 61-62
Folder 61Folder 62 |
North Carolina #04774, Series: "5. Clippings, 1940s-1970s." Folder 61-62 |
Folder 63 |
World War II #04774, Series: "5. Clippings, 1940s-1970s." Folder 63 |
Arrangement: by subject.
Photographs and other pictures of Susan Grey Akers, members of her family, colleagues in the University of North Carolina School of Library Science, friends, and places she visited. There are six folders of loose pictures, two albums of pictures from her year in Japan, and one album from her year in Iran and further travels in the Middle East and southern Europe.
Extra Oversize Paper Folder XOPF-4774/1 |
Extra-oversize papers #04774, Series: "7. Oversize " XOPF-4774/1 |
Processed by: Southern Historical Collection Staff
Encoded by: Jackie Dean, March 2006
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