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San Diego Scientific Library Records
LA.1998.1201
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Natural History Museum Research Library
Title: San Diego Scientific Library Association Records
Identifier/Call Number: LA.1998.1201
Physical Description:
1.3 Linear Feet
Date (bulk): 1922-1967
Abstract: The Records of the San Diego Scientific Library consist of reports and financial documents about the operation and management
of the library. The collection includes by-laws (and revisions), accession records, association meeting minutes, and financial
reports.
Container: 322
Container: 182
Two boxes of material. Financial records, correspondence, reports, minutes, and legal records of the San Diego Scientific
Library Association.
The collection is open to researchers by appointment. Contact the Research Library Director, San Diego Natural History Museum.
Copyright may be reserved. Consult the San Diego Natural History Museum Research Library Director for more information.
[Identification of item], Records of the San Diego Scientific Library (LA.1998.1202). Research Library, San Diego Natural History Museum.
The San Diego Scientific Library Association was formed on April 17, 1918 by an agreement between the San Diego Public Library,
San Diego Society of Natural History, San Diego Medical Association Library, and San Diego Museum Association. A $30,000 grant
by W.W. Whitney in October 1922 provided the funds necessary to actualize the Association's goals, leading to its incorporation
on October 16, 1922.
The early governing body consisted of Board of Directors members John Burnham of the San Diego Society of Natural History;
the San Diego Medical Library Association Library's Robert Pollock, elected vice-president of the Association; Duncan McKinnon,
President of the San Diego Museum Association; William Templeton Johnson, a prominent local architect; Mr. Russell C. Allen,
of the Panama-California Exposition and Association president. The Board of Directors and Mr. Whitney came to an accord on
the specifics of the bequest, including intent to house the library at the California State Building (now the Museum of Man)
in Balboa Park and the placement of a memorial plaque in honor of Whitney's late wife in front of the building, on October
30, 1922. The Panama-California Exposition Commission and the San Diego Museum Association, who had maintained a pre-existing
agreement over the use of the building with the former since 1917, permitted the Association space in the California State
Building for the library on November 7, 1922, with the provision of no structural modifications to the building and that any
renovations would be overseen by William Templeton Johnson, who was both a member of the San Diego Scientific Library Association
Board of Directors and had preexisting charge of the building's interior. By November 9, 1922, Dr. Henry M. Wegeforth joined
the Board of Directors representing the Zoological Society, but resigned in August 1923.
The San Diego Scientific Library opened its doors on July 14, 1923. Cooperating institutions at the time of opening included
the San Diego Public Library, the State Commission for the Panama-California Exposition Building, San Diego State College,
Board of Park Commissioners of the City of San Diego, San Diego Museum Association (later the Museum of Man), San Diego Society
of Natural History, San Diego Medical Library Association, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Zoological Society
of San Diego. The books in the library were sourced from the San Diego Society of Natural History, San Diego Museum Library,
Vogdes Geological Library, Gates Library of Oriental History and Art, the U.S. Grant Historical Library, and the San Diego
Medical Library Association. The Vogdes Geological Library had been donated by Blanche Vogdes Kendall, niece of General Anthony
Wayne Vogdes, on May 28, 1923 and accepted June 5, 1923.
In 1935 the San Diego Scientific Library was transferred to the newly-built Natural History Museum in preparation for 1935
California Pacific International Exposition. After the exhibition, the collections were split by subject between the original
location in the Museum of Man and the Natural History Museum as the collection had grown beyond its original space allotment.
In November 1941, the Gates Oriental Library was transferred to the San Diego State College Library at the college librarian's
suggestion, which the Board of Directors unanimously accepted because of the collection's underuse and need for additional
space for other collections.
In early 1943 Balboa Park was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for hospital space. On March 10, 1943 the Association took up
an offer by San Diego State College to house both sections of the library in the college's library building for the duration
of the war. In 1947, the collections were returned to the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Man.
By 1948, the total membership of institutions in the Association had dropped to just the two housing institutions, the Museum
of Man and that San Diego Natural History Museum, with funds split between the two. In 1957, the museums agreed that the
San Diego Scientific Library Association had become redundant and applied to the state court for dissolution. By the terms
of the dissolution agreement, each museum library would act as a trustee and maintain terms of original Whitney Trust, which
was divided in half between the two libraries.
The collections of the San Diego Scientific Library at the time of dissolution are now located in the San Diego Museum of
Man and the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.)
California Building (San Diego, Calif.)
California Pacific International Exposition (1935-1936 : San Diego, Calif.)
Libraries -- California
Museum libraries
Natural history libraries
San Diego Museum Association
San Diego Museum of Man
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Society of Natural History
San Diego Society of Natural History -- Archives
San Diego State University
Science libraries
Abbott, Clinton G. (Clinton Gilbert), 1881-1946
Baily, Joshua L., Jr. (Joshua Longstreth), 1889-1981
Fischer, Arthur F., (Arthur Frederick), 1888-1962
Hewett, Edgar Lee, 1865-1946
Johnson, William Templeton , 1877-1957 (American architect)
Klauber, Laurence Monroe, 1883-1968
Marston, George W., 1840-1901
Meeder, Billie (Mildred Henney Hughes), 1906-1994
Vogdes, Anthony Wayne, 1843-1923
Wegeforth, Harry Milton, Dr., 1882-1941
Whitney, W. W. (Willard Washington), 1837-1923