Guide to the San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records
SJSU Library Special Collections and Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2061
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
© 2008
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Guide to the San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records
Collection number: MSS-2009-08-05
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
Finding aid funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
- Processed by:
- Robert Donahue
- Date Completed:
- 2009
- Encoded by:
- Mary Ellen Petrich
© 2008 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records
Dates: 1994-2005
Bulk Dates: 1998-2000
Collection number: MSS-2009-08-05
Creator:
San José State University
Collection Size:
24 boxes
(28.88 linear feet)
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: 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. This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. General
Joint Library Files, 1997-2005 (bulk 1998-2000); Series II. Architectural Files, 1994-2003 (bulk 1999); and Series III. Promotional
Materials, 1998-2003.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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.
Preferred Citation
San José State University and the San José Public Library System Joint Library Project Records, MSS-2009-08-05, San José State
University Library Special Collections and Archives.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Mary Ellen Petrich. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen.
Project Information
This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008. The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.
Organizational History
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.
In 1996, SJSU President Robert L. Caret and San José Mayor Susan Hammer began early discussions to build a joint library,
and in 1998 the two entities signed an operating agreement. Complex planning efforts began in 1999 and in 2003 the Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Library opened to the public. The completion of the 475,000-square foot library--the largest library to be
built at one time west of the Mississippi--under budget and on schedule became known as "the miracle on Fourth Street." The
amount of planning and productivity to carry out this innovative venture required multiple layers of collaboration, fund-raising,
and support from a diverse community of users.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library provides combined services for the campus community of 30,000 students, SJSU faculty
and staff, and to the larger community population of close to one million people. The merger has enhanced access and discovery
to a wealth of resources, from books, e-books, databases, audiovisual materials, and primary sources to an expansive public
art collection. The library opened in 2003 despite initial opposition from some university faculty and members of the community
at large. Today the library serves as a gateway from K-12 to higher education, and has become the cornerstone for life-long
learning in the region.
Bibliography
Gilbert, Benjamin F., and Burdick, Charles.
Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José, California: San José State University, 1980.
Walsh, James P.
San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José, California: San José State University, 2003.
Related Material
San José State University Library Records, MSS-2009-03-03, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Scope and Content of Collection
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 records consist of administrative files,
architectural files and renderings, legal files, newspaper clippings, photographs, and promotional materials.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. General Joint Library Files, 1997-2005 (bulk 1998-2000); Series II.
Architectural Files, 1994-2003 (bulk 1999); and Series III. Promotional Materials, 1998-2003.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
San José State University -- History.
San José Public Library -- History.
Joint-use libraries -- California -- San José.
Library buildings -- California -- San José -- Planning.
Library buildings -- California -- San José -- Design and construction.
Education, Higher -- California -- San José.
Collection Contents
Series I:
General Joint Library Files
1997-2005
(bulk 1998-2000)
Physical Description: 16 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The materials in this series document the planning and construction of the joint library, from conceptualization to the building's
grand opening in August 2003. The series includes architectural specifications, correspondence, general files, meeting minutes,
reports, and technology and network information.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 1
General Files, Legal Documents
1997
Box 2
Memos & Email Correspondence: C. James Schmidt's Office
1998-1999
Box 3
Architectural Bids: Construction & Building Design
1998-2000
Box 4
Opposition to Joint Library and Planning Files from David McNeil
1998-2000
Boxes 10-11
General Files: SJPL Program Manager Sharon Russell
1998-2003
Box 12
General Files: SJSU Associate Dean Jo Bell Whitlatch
1998-2005
Box 13
Library Technology, CAT 5, Network
1999-2002
Box 14
Meeting Minutes, Agendas, General Files
2000-2003
Box 15
General Files, Operations & Planning
2002
Box 16
General Files, Consultants' Reports, Legal Documents
2002-2003
Series II:
Architectural Files
1994-2003
(bulk 1999)
Physical Description: 4 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The materials in this series document architectural plans concerning the joint library project. Included are concept drawings
for the building, as well as items and materials suggested for use in the interior such as furniture and library stacks and
shelving. Also included are photographs and consultant files on the joint library project.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 17
Architectural, Interior Design Files, Concept Files
1994
Box 18
Architectural, Interior Design Files
1998-1999
Boxes 19-20
Architectural, Interior Design Files, Advisory Files, AV Equipment
1999-2003
Series III:
Promotional Materials
1998-2003
Physical Description: 4 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series documents various types of materials used to promote the joint library project, including media coverage of the
building's construction and grand opening. Several different formats are represented in the series, including newspaper clippings,
photographs, t-shirt samples, and audiovisual materials.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 21
Articles, Newspapers
1998-2000
Box 22
Audiovisual Materials, Photographs
1998-2003
Box 23
Newspaper Clippings, Photographs
1998-2003
Box 24
Grand Opening Promotional Material
2003
