A History of College Hill Library

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Introduction

The College Hill Library has a rich history of serving its community, evolving from a small station in the College Hill Town Hall to a modern library branch. This article explores the library's development, its various locations, and its contributions to the College Hill and Finneytown communities.

Early Years and Relocation

Library service in College Hill began in 1914 with a small station in the College Hill Town Hall. The library subsequently operated in several locations along Hamilton Avenue, demonstrating its adaptability and commitment to providing access to information for local residents. To further serve the community, a small branch was established within the College Hill Elementary School, operating until 1956.

In 1956, the branch relocated to a new location at 1611 North Bend Road at Hamilton Ave, marking a significant step in the library’s growth and its ability to offer expanded services.

The Northern Hills Branch

The current College Hill Library was built on the site of a farm once owned by John T. Crawford. It opened on July 11, 1966, as the Northern Hills Branch. This new facility was designed to serve the College Hill and Finneytown communities, providing a modern space for learning, reading, and community engagement.

D. H. Hill Jr. Library at North Carolina College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts

D. H. Hill Jr. began his career at North Carolina College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts upon its opening in 1889. He served as both a professor of English and the first college librarian, a common practice in the nineteenth century. The early library was not a major undertaking, occupying only a reading room in the Main Building, and later Holladay Hall. For the first ten years of the college, Hill ordered all books and supervised student assistants. Due to his scholarly interests, the early collection was dominated by the humanities and history, despite the agricultural and mechanical focus of the school.

Early Staff and System Implementation

E. B. Owen, class of 1898, was hired in 1899. Owen, along with University of Texas librarian Benjamin Wyche, were hired to implement the Dewey Decimal System of book classification, construct a card catalog, and institute a card loan system. He served in this position until 1902 and held a variety of other positions at the college, including teacher of college preparatory classes (1898-1901), English professor (1904-1907), proctor, and registrar (1907-1928).

Marshall Delancey Haywood served in 1902-1903, during which time he worked on his book, William Tryon and his Administration in the Province of North Carolina, 1765-1771 (1903). Haywood resigned when college president G. T. Winston cut his low-paying salary.

Caroline Sherman was the first woman hired as librarian at NC State. During Sherman’s tenure as librarian from 1903 to 1906, library holdings moved from the third floor of Main Building (later Holladay Hall) to the first floor of old Pullen Hall.

Committee Oversight and Challenges

President D. H. Hill Jr. appointed English professors Thomas P. Harrison and George Summey as co-chairs of the Library Committee. Charlotte M. Williamson was hired as a librarian and worked in the position from 1910 to 1923. Before becoming State College's librarian, Williamson served as a Raleigh high school teacher and principal of Murphey School. During her time as librarian, the collection continued to grow slowly.

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In 1923, NC State hired George Zook of the US Bureau of Education to survey the college and make recommendations on how it could be restructured. Zook recommended the creation of schools focusing on the following broad disciplines: engineering, agriculture, general science, social science, and business administration.

When the head librarian position became vacant, the university decided to save money by placing the library under the supervision of the Library Committee instead of hiring a replacement. Frank Capps, Director of College Extension and instructor of business law, took on the position of Executive Secretary of the Library Committee from 1926 to 1933. Although he moved his office to the library, he did not have the professional training or the time to provide much oversight. A growing backlog of materials was left uncatalogued and unusable, while poorly trained student assistants were unable to assist patrons.

Brooks Hall and Early Growth

The original D. H. Hill Jr. Library was dedicated in the building later known as Brooks Hall. The contract for construction of a new library building, later Brooks Hall, was awarded to Joe W. Stout and Company of Sanford, NC. Hugh T. Lefler served as chairman of the Library Committee from 1937 to 1954.

During his administration, William Porter Kellam brought a sense of professionalism and organization to the library. The number of formally trained librarians grew from one to seven; the number of books increased from 33,500 to 56,500; circulation climbed from 60,400 to 97,900 volumes; and expenditures rose from $6,900 to $10,000. Kellam arranged the library into departments by function: circulation, reference, ordering, cataloging, and periodicals.

Art and Expansion

The Works Progress Administration commissioned James A. McLean to create four murals depicting agriculture, science, architecture, and engineering. The McLean Murals were displayed in Brooks Hall, originally the D. H. Hill Jr. Library.

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Harlan Brown joined the library in 1936 as the circulation librarian. After becoming director in 1939, he presided over many significant changes for the library, including its 1954 relocation from Brooks Hall to the facility where it remains today. The larger space provided the library with the room to expand the collection from 50,000 to 500,000 volumes, construct a comprehensive scientific periodical collection, and acquire the renowned Tippman Collection of Entomology volumes. The enhanced D. H. Hill Jr. Library formed part of Brown's vision of a centralized campus library system.

From 1942 to 1946, Brown took a leave of absence to serve in World War II. Reference librarian Reba Clevenger became the acting college librarian during World War II when the men on staff left for military service.

Branch Libraries and Special Collections

As State College celebrated its 50th anniversary, materials on the institution's history were collected in the library. The Architecture Library opened as the first branch library with Grace Sims Dalton as the first librarian. This was part of Library Director Harlan Brown’s goal to eliminate autonomous departmental libraries in favor of centrally-controlled branch libraries. The Architecture Library was renamed the Harrye B. Lyons Design Library in 1978.

The Textiles Library was established, and Rachel Penn Lane was the first librarian. The library was originally located in the main library but relocated to Nelson Hall the following year in 1945. L. C. and M. M. Glenn donated $6,000 to State College for the library's purchase of geological publications, many rare and unique.

Archives and New Facilities

Former Chancellor John Harrelson began an appointment as the head of the university archives collection at the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1968. Chancellor John W. Shirley served as chairman of the Library Committee from 1954 to 1960.

Edward Carson was the first African American student employed at the Libraries. He later served on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Library. The Friends of the Library organization was reestablished after being largely inactive since the late 1940s. Faculty, staff, alumni, and local community members met at the Erdahl-Cloyd Student Union to reorganize the Friends of the Library organization and hold the organization's first general membership meeting.

The Littleton Era

I. T. Littleton joined the library in 1959 as assistant director. He became director in 1964 at first in an acting role, since Harlan Brown remained and served as associate director until his retirement in 1971. During Littleton's long tenure as director from 1964 to 1987, he built the D. H. Hill Jr. Library and its branches into a major university research library system. The book, periodicals, and binding budget rose from $114,000 in 1958 to $3.1 million, and the library's full-time staff and facilities tripled in size. The library added its cataloging records to the international bibliographic network OCLC, and it served as a founding member of several cooperative organizations.

Doretha Blalock was hired as a "Typist II" for the library in 1964. She was later the first African American woman employed above the clerk level in a technical position processing books and was promoted to supervisor of the Collections Management Department. She also worked on the Affirmative Action Committee which oversaw hiring of African Americans in the 1970s.

Technological Advancements and Physical Expansions

Air conditioning was first installed in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1966. Maurice Toler was the first professionally trained, full-time University Archivist. The Technical Information Center opened in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1967.

The Cooperating Raleigh Colleges program was established by the libraries of NC State, Meredith College, Shaw University, Peace College, St. Mary's College, and St. Augustine College. D. H. Hill Jr. Library extended the closing hour from 11pm to 1am in 1968. A Study and Reference area opened in D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1969. After thefts of valuable volumes, a security system was installed in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1970.

Financial Support and Library Systems

The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated funding of libraries at the 16 senior public institutions of higher education in the state. NC State received an increase of $723,915, which resulted in a budget of $1,313,833 for fiscal year of 1970 to 1971. Charles Aycock Poe served as the Friends of the Library President from 1970 to 1971. In 1971, Poe announced the Libraries reached 500,000 volumes due to contributions from the FOL.

A reorganization of departments in the Libraries results in three major divisions headed by assistant directors. The divisions were General Services (including circulation), Reference Services, and Collection Development and Organization (including technical services). Construction ended on the new 11-story tower addition, the North Tower, of the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in 1972. The light mural (later known as the Color Wall) in D. H. Hill Jr. Library was displayed by this date, but not yet completed.

Networks and Computerization

NC State became a charter member of the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) in 1974. Margaret Hunt and Lillie Castor were the first two African American women hired as professional librarians to work at the D. H. Hill Jr. Library. The D. H. Hill Librarians group met for the first time in 1980. In 1984, the group was renamed the NCSU Librarians' Association.

The library began computerized cataloging of materials in 1983. The library directors at NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke University appointed a Triangle Universities Library Cooperation Committee (TULCC) to plan a cooperative program for the three universities.

Million-Volume Milestone and New Leadership

The Friends of the Library began a campaign in 1979 to reach one million volumes. The D. H. Hill Jr. Library holdings reached this number by 1981. The online catalog became operational in 1986. It was originally called the Bibliographic Information System (BIS). In 1987, library staff stopped filing cards into the card catalog.

"The NCSU Libraries" became the official name of the library system, encompassing the D. H. Hill Jr. Library and four branch libraries (Design, Natural Resources, Textiles, and Veterinary Medicine) in 1987. The first annual I. T. Littleton Seminar in emerging library issues was held by the Libraries. The seminar was established to honor Libraries Director I. T. Littleton, who retired in this year.

Susan K. Nutter was the first woman hired as Director of Libraries in 1989. During Nutter’s tenure, the Libraries grew from less than 2,000,000 volumes to more than 5,000,000, plus 90,000 print and electronic serial subscriptions, more than 500 bibliographic databases, and numerous electronic full-text and image collections. The Libraries advanced significantly in important library rankings, and innovative new facilities opened on campus.

University of Florida Libraries

Early Years and Formation

The Buckman Act of 1905 established present-day University of Florida and Florida State University. Libraries for the two schools were assembled from the libraries of six schools abolished by the Buckman Act. The largest library collections were those of the University of Florida (formerly the Florida Agricultural College) in Lake City and the Florida State College in Tallahassee. The library at Lake City served as a federal repository, and government documents were transferred to the new University of Florida. In July, Gainesville was chosen as the site for the new university.

William S. Cawthon was appointed Librarian in 1906 and was also given responsibility for transporting the last wagons of university equipment from Lake City to Gainesville. Cawthon later served as State Superintendent for Public Instruction. The Gainesville campus of the University of Florida opened on September 26, 1906.

Growth and Professionalization

As additional buildings became available, branch libraries were created to accommodate the collections. The library of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station was the first to move when Newell Hall opened in 1909.

Cora Miltimore was hired as the fourth Librarian in 1918. She was the first professionally trained librarian to head the library, and her administration ushered in modern forms of library organization. Additional professional librarians were hired to run catalog, circulation, and reference departments in the early 1920s.

An Orders (Acquisitions) Department was established in 1937. The libraries contained over 125,000 volumes and there was a professional staff of six librarians.

Post-War Developments and New Directorship

Stanley LeRoy West was selected to be the first Director of University Libraries in 1947. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings donated her library and papers in 1950, and the Creative Writing Collection was organized. The University Archives was established as part of the P. K. Yonge Library in 1951.

The Agricultural Library moved to McCarty Hall in 1956 and was renamed the H. Harold Hume Library. A Department of Special Collections was created in 1959.

Million-Volume Milestone and Automation

The Libraries reached one million volumes in 1963. The Graduate Research Library opened in 1967, and the old library was designated the College Library. The names were changed to Library West and Library East in 1970.

Gustave Harrer became the second Director of Libraries in 1968. A systems analyst was recruited, and the Libraries issued an Automation Proposal to the university. The Libraries joined the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) in 1973 and contributed catalog records to its national database via the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET).

Electronic Catalog and Renovations

The Libraries acquired NOTIS as its first library management system in 1980, and the Department of Systems and Computer Based Operations was created. Dale Canelas became the third Director of Libraries in 1985.

A user interface with the electronic catalog called LUIS, Library User Information Service, was made available via public terminals in 1986. A new Department of Special Collections was organized in 1987, combining the Library of Florida History, the University Archives, Rare Books and Manuscripts, and the Baldwin Library. The Marston Science Library opened, combining all of the non-medical science collections, including the Hume Agricultural Library. Library East was renamed Smathers Library after Senator George A. Smathers provided a significant gift to renovate the building. The renovations were completed in 1996.

Renaming and Digital Expansion

The University Libraries were renamed the George A. Smathers Libraries in 1991. The three millionth volume was acquired in 1993.

Special Collections was merged with the Latin American and Caribbean Collection, the Price Library of Judaica, and the African Studies Collection to form the Department of Special and Area Studies Collections in 1997.

21st Century Developments

The four millionth volume was added in 2003. Exlibris/Aleph replaced NOTIS. The Institutional Repository was established in 2006 to provide a host site within UFDC for scholarly digital content produced by the UF academic community. Judith C. Russell was appointed the first Dean of University Libraries in 2007.

The FLorida Academic REpository (FLARE) was organized in 2012 to provide storage for low-use print materials from academic libraries in Florida.

Recent Renovations and Additions

The Judaica Suite, designed by world-renowned architect and artist Kenneth Treister was officially opened in Smathers Library in 2014. The Marston Science Library first floor was renovated to become the Collaboration Commons. The Map & Imagery Library moved to the first floor of Smathers Library. The Government Documents print materials were moved to an off-campus facility. The Latin American and Caribbean Collection Reading Room moved from the fourth floor of Smathers Library to the third floor into a larger and renovated space.

Staggered renovation of Marston floors occurred from 2014-2023. Marston’s first floor was the first to see a total renovation, in the summer of 2014. The remaining floors were renovated (bottom to top) over the course of several years in order to enhance the type of seating and study spaces available for students. The fifth floor was completed in 2023 and the overall effort resulted in Marston becoming the most visited library on campus. Prior to the renovation there was an average 700K students visiting per year. After the renovation, there were more than 2.1 million visitors per year.

The Albert H. Nahmad Panama Canal Gallery opened in Smathers Library in 2017 to showcase items from the Panama Canal Museum Collection. The six millionth volume was added. Renovation at the Architecture & Fine Arts Library included a redesigned service desk, staff offices, and the creation of a multipurpose room that serves as special collections, instructional and meeting space.

The Education Library’s renovation was completed in 2018. Highlights include: updated ADA restrooms, gender neutral restrooms and a lactation room, an ADA service desk, improved lighting, new carpet, all new furniture, a computer lab, dual monitor computers on the 2nd floor, additional electrical outlets, two additional group study rooms, new security gates and the EduGator Makery (educational makerspace).

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