Library. -- 1941-1959; predominant 1948-1958. -- 38.1 cm (3 cases).
In 1929, the New Brunswick government gave the University of New Brunswick a $100,000 grant to construct a library, which was opened in 1931. Rapid increases in enrolment at UNB following the Second World War led to the expansion of programmes and to subsequent demands for new library acquisitions, resulting in overcrowded library conditions. Lord Beaverbrook, UNB's chief benefactor and Chancellor, established a Library Trust Fund in 1948 to finance the construction of a new wing, which opened in 1951. The library was renamed the Bonar Law-Bennett Library, in honour of two New Brunswick-born politicians - Andrew Bonar Law and R.B. Bennett. Lord Beaverbrook donated 50,000 books, including the 12,000 volume Beaverbrook Collection and the collected papers of Bonar-Law and Bennett. The Bonar-Law papers later were returned to England.
Dr. Bailey served as Honourary Librarian of the UNB Library from 1946 to 1959. Documents in this Library series reflect Dr. Bailey's recognition that a research library is the nucleus of a growing university. Under his guidance, the library was staffed by professional librarians and collections development, both current and retrospective, was given high priority. Dr. Bailey also was instrumental in encouraging the development of a regional public library system in New Brunswick, and the development of New Brunswick studies.
The bulk of the series comprises typescript and handwritten correspondence, curriculum vitae, letters of application, and photographs relating to library staff, including professionals, clericals, students, and summer workers. Key library personnel mentioned in this Library series include Gertrude Gunn, Head Librarian from 1959-1982; Marjorie Thompson, a librarian from 1941 to 1958; Nan Gregg; Eleanor Belyea; Francis Firth, and Robert Rogers.
The series also consists of material related to general library operations, including budgets, reports to the University Senate, administrative charts, departmental acquisition budgets, circulation statistics, special grants allocations, book lists and periodical subscriptions, faculty and student guides to using the library, and general rules and regulations governing the use of the library.
Also included in this library series are plans, equipment lists, diagrams, invoices and correspondence relating to the construction of the new library wing. Minutes and agendas of the Faculty Library Committee include discussion of centralizing the departmental libraries' collections, encouraging external library funding, and 1950 plans to establish a New Brunswick regional library system. Constitutional articles of the New Brunswick Library Association, established November 14, 1951, also are found in this series (Case 53, file 1).
The series is not organized in any discernable order, although rough reverse chronological order is maintained within many of the series' files.
The series title is supplied based on contents of the files.
Case 51 File 1 Library Construction. -- 1948-1951;predominant
1950
Case 51 File 2 Library -- General. -- 1946-1949.
Case 51 File 3 1949 Library Staff, Professional. -- 1949.
Case 51 File 4 1949 Library Staff -- Summer. -- 1949.
Case 51 File 5 1948 Library Staff -- Summer. -- 1948.
Case 51 File 6 1948 Library Staff, Clerical. -- 1948.
Case 51 File 7 1949 Library Staff, Clerical. -- 1948-50.
Case 51 File 8 1946-1947 Library Staff -- Students. -- 1946-
1947.
Case 51 File 9 1948-1949 Library Staff -- Students. -- 1948-
1949.
Case 51 File 10 1947 Library Staff -- Professional. -- 1946-
1948.
Case 51 File 11 1946 Library Staff -- Professional. -- 1945-
1946.
Case 51 File 12 Library Staff -- Summer '45-'47. -- 1945-1947.
Case 51 File 13 1948 Library Staff -- Professional. -- 1947-
1948.
Case 51 File 14 Marks 1946-1949. -- 1946-1948; predominant
1948
Case 51 File 15 Miscellaneous. -- 1943-1949.
Case 51 File 16 Library Committee and Dr. Gunn Correspondence.
-- 1957-1962.
Case 51 File 17 Library Staff '58. -- 1958.
Case 51 File 18 Library Staff -- Students. -- 1949-1954.
Case 51 File 19 1950 Library -- Summer Staff -- Applications
for summer positions. -- 1950-1957.
Case 52 File 1 Library, General. -- 1947-1951.
Case 52 File 2 '58 -- Library Miscellaneous Material. --
1956-1959.
Case 52 File 3 Library Committee. -- 1947-1956.
Case 52 File 4 Library Committee -- Current matters to be
brought up at next meeting of Library
Committee. -- 1941-1956; predominant 1956
Case 52 File 5 Bonar Law-Bennett Library Wing. -- 1950.
Case 53 File 1 1952-1954 -- Library -- General. -- 1950-
1954.
Case 53 File 2 1955-1957 -- Library Bulletin -- Books added
to the Library. -- 1955-1957.
Case 53 File 3 Library Miscellaneous Material. -- 1956-1957.
Case 53 File 4 Library Applications for Librarians. -- 1956-
1957.
Case 53 File 5 1950 -- Library Staff -- Professional --
Applications for permanent employment. --
1949-1958.
Case 53 File 6 1950 -- Library -- Staff -- Clerical --
Applications for permanent employment. --
1950-1956.
Case 53 File 7 Library -- General -- Correspondence. -- 1946-
1954.
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