Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Register of the Melvin Voigt Papers
MSS 0170
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Melvin Voigt Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1942-2000
Collection number: MSS 0170
Creator:
Voigt, Melvin J. (Melvin John)
Extent:
4.00 linear feet
(10 archives boxes)
Repository:
Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD
La Jolla, CA 92093-0175
Physical location: For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Abstract: Papers of Melvin Voigt, first university librarian (1960-1976) at the University of
California, San Diego. The materials relate to Voigt's professional career in library
science as an editor, writer, reviewer, researcher, and consultant. Included are
correspondence, journal articles, book reviews, speeches and lectures, consulting files,
and committee files. Not included in the collection are files generated as the UCSD
University Librarian; although, there are several files documenting the history of the
UCSD Library. The papers are arranged in seven series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE,
3) WRITINGS, 4) CONSULTING PROJECTS, 5) GRANT PROJECTS AND RESEARCH PROPOSALS, 6)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, and 7) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
Language:
English.
Collection is open for research
Melvin Voigt Papers, MSS 0170. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Born in Upland, California, on March 12, 1911, Melvin J. Voigt received an A.B. in
mathematics from Bluffton College (Ohio) in 1933 and a masters of library science from
the University of Michigan in 1938. Voigt held numerous positions in library
administration, management and teaching during his career--librarian at the University of
Michigan (1935-1942), librarian and professor of library science at the Carnegie
Institute of Technology (1946-1952), assistant librarian and lecturer at the University
of California, Berkeley (1952-1959), library director at Kansas State University
(1959-1960), and university librarian at the University of California, San Diego
(1960-1976).
Voigt's research interests included scientific information and an understanding of
scientist's uses of information. He held a Senior Fulbright Research Fellowship at the
University of Copenhagen (1958-1959) and at the Institut fur Dokumentation (1974-1975) in
Frankfurt, Germany.
Voigt served as a library management and data processing consultant to a number of
universities and government organizations. He was the American representative on UNESCO's
Advisory Committee on Bibliography, Documentation and Terminology between 1961 and 1965,
and member of the National Library of Medicine's Biomedical Review Committee from 1967 to
1971.
As the first University Librarian at the University of California, San Diego, Mel Voigt
began in 1960 to build a library system for the campus. He developed a cost-saving plan
to purchase core books for the three new UC campuses--San Diego, Irvine and Santa
Cruz--and oversaw the acquisition of 1.2 million volumes for San Diego by his retirement
in 1976. In 1973, Voigt developed a library acquisition policy model, known as the Voigt
Model, for UC campuses other than UCB and UCLA based on requirements for general
university programs, professional programs, level of undergraduate enrollment, and ease
of access to the UCLA and Berkeley collections.
Mel Voigt died on February 4, 2000.
The papers of Melvin J. Voigt relate to his professional career in library science and
include correspondence, journal articles and reports, book reviews, and speeches and
lectures. Also included are materials documenting consulting work, grant projects,
editing, and committee and professional activities. The papers are arranged in seven
series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4) CONSULTING
PROJECTS, 5) GRANT PROJECTS AND RESEARCH PROPOSALS, 6) COMMITTEES AND PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES, and 7) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
SERIES 1: MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS
The MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS series, arranged alphabetically, contains biographical
materials including curriculum vitae, clippings and articles about Voigt, photographs,
and retirement and memorial documentation. Also included are several files related to the
history of the UCSD Library and Voigt's role in its development.
SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series, arranged alphabetically, comprises letters from colleagues,
library administrators, professional societies, and corporations.
SERIES 3: WRITINGS
The WRITINGS series is arranged in three subseries: A) Journal Articles and Papers, B)
Book Reviews, and C) Speeches and Lectures. The Journal Articles and Papers subseries
contains articles published in library science journals and numerous "letters to the
editor." The Book Reviews subseries is arranged alphabetically by title of book reviewed.
The Speeches and Lectures subseries documents Voigt's many speaking engagements and is
arranged by title.
SERIES 4: CONSULTING PROJECTS
This series, arranged by organization, documents the consulting work Voigt performed for
other libraries, corporations and universities.
SERIES 5: GRANT PROJECTS AND RESEARCH PROPOSALS
The series is arranged in two subseries: A) Fulbright Research Projects and B)
Miscellaneous. The bulk of the material in this series is located in the first subseries
and relates to Voigt's two Fulbright Fellowships, one in Denmark (1958-1959) and the
other (1974-1975) in Germany.
SERIES 6: COMMITTEES AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
This series contains files for committee work associated largely with the University of
California, the Association of Research Libraries and UNESCO. Also included are materials
from professional meetings in which Voigt attended and participated. The files are
arranged alphabetically by organization.
SERIES 7: ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES
The ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES series contains the originals of brittle or
high acid content documents that have been photocopied.
RELATED COLLECTION
RSS 1030 -Administrative Files of the University Librarian.