Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness | |
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Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness (October 18, 1894 – August 16, 1968) was a prominent American librarian and literary translator who served as Dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964. He was the first recipient of the Beta Phi Mu Award recognizing distinguished service to education for librarianship
Additionally, Gjelsness held positions at a variety of public and university libraries, including the
Early life and education: 1894–1925
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness was born in the farming community of
This allowed Gjelsness to take a variety of jobs at both public libraries and at major universities. These included positions as head of the Ordering Department at the
Professional career: 1925–1964
Upon his return to the United States, Gjelsness took a job in the University of Michigan Library, where he spent four years principally in the cataloging department.[5] In 1929, he left the university and moved to New York City. Here, he divided his time between heading the preparation division of the New York City Public Library and the Library Science department at Columbia University, where he served as a lecturer.[4] While living in New York, Gjelsness married Ruth Weaver. The couple later had two children, Elizabeth and Barent.[5]
Also while in New York, Gjelsness also became active in the American Library Association and served on various high-profile committees within the organization. These included the Committee on Cataloging and Classification, the American Agricultural Libraries Section, and the International Relations Board.[6] He was also the group's treasurer between 1941 and 1947.[5] Among Gjelsness's achievements with the ALA was his work as editor-in-chief revising the standard Anglo-American Cataloging Rules between 1935 and 1941 and the subsequent publication of ALA Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries in 1941.[3]
After a brief stint back at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness took a job heading the Special Collections Division at the University of Arizona while concurrently lecturing at the University of Illinois and serving as a consultant at Vanderbilt University.[6] In 1937, he again left Arizona to return to the University of Michigan. After serving three years as a professor, he was promoted to Dean of the Library Science Department 1940, a position he held until 1964.[3] Although he taught many courses at the university, his primary interest was in the history of American publishing of both books and periodicals.[7] He also served as the president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education, 1948-1949.
During his tenure as dean, he also began to aid in the establishment and progress of libraries and library science department in foreign countries. Among these were a program he helped set up in
Gjelsness also contributed many articles to various scholarly journals on a variety of topics regarding libraries and the role of library schools. During his tenure as dean at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness observed in one such article originally published in 1945 that library science departments were improving but more still needed to be done to attract better candidates to careers in the field. He recommended increases in salaries to remedy the situation, putting the minimum figure at three thousand dollars per year.[9]
Retirement and death: 1964–1968
In 1964, Gjelsness retired from the University of Michigan. Still, he continued to serve the library profession, including a return to the University of Arizona's Special Collections Division.[3] His final appointment sent him to San Juan, Puerto Rico where he was hired to assist in the foundation of the University of Puerto Rico's Library Science Department.[5] However, the day after his arrival, Gjelsness was killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident on August 16, 1968.[5]
Personal papers
A collection of Gjelsness' personal papers, including some material written by members of his family, is housed at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan.[3]
References
- ^ "Search Results for gjelsness," JSTOR, (accessed October 2, 2010).
- ^ Leonard Kniffel, Peggy Sullivan, Edith McCormick, "100 of the Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century," American Libraries 30, no. 11 (December 1999): 43.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bentley Historical Library, “Rudolph H. Gjelsness Papers 1919-1968: Biography”, University of Michigan, (accessed September 21, 2010).
- ^ a b c d David Kaser, ed., Books in America’s Past: Essays Honoring Rudolph H. Gjelsness (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1966), v.
- ^ a b c d e ALA World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services, 2nd ed., s.v. “Gjelsness, Rudolph H.”
- ^ a b c Kaser, Books in America’s Past, vi.
- ^ Kaser, Books in America’s Past, vii.
- ^ Rudolph Gjelsness, The American Book in Mexico: A Bibliography of Books by Authors of the United States of America Published in Mexico 1952-55 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Department of Library Science: 1957).
- ^ Rudolph H. Gjelsness, "Library Schools Make Progress," Library Journal 116, no. 11 (June 15, 1991): S31.