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San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records
MSS.2009.08.05  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records, 1994-2005 (bulk 1998-2000) document the planning and construction of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, the first joint venture between a university and public library in the U.S. The records consist of administrative files, architectural files and renderings, legal files, newspaper clippings, photographs, and promotional materials.
Background
In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized 200,000 dollars to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San José State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.
Extent
27.0 boxes (27 linear feet)
Restrictions
Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections and Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections and Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Availability
The collection is open for research.