Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Seymour Lubetzky papers, 1938-2003
1544
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Seymour Lubetzky papers
Collection number: 1544
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
11.2 linear ft.
(8 record cartons and 8 document boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1938-2003
Abstract: Seymour Lubetzky (1898-2003) was a professor in the UCLA School of Library Service (1960-69) and a descriptive cataloging
theorist. The collection consists of subject and correspondence files, lecture notes, and audio tapes from the 1930s through
the 2000s related to Lubetzky's work in cataloging and classification in the Library Information Science discipline.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator:
Lubetzky, Seymour
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are
retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where UCLA Library Special Collections does not
hold the copyright.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Reel-to reel audio materials are present and may need to be digitized prior to use or require special equipment for access.
[Identification of item], Seymour Lubetzky Papers (Collection 1544). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Donated by Seymour Lubetzky in 1987. Addition was donated by Richard Lubetzky in 2003.
Finding aid edited by Josh Fiala in 2002. Addition processed by Mary Priest in 2015 in the Center for Primary Research and
Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Jillian Cuellar. Processing of this collection was generously supported by the Constantine
and Perina Panunzio Endowment for University Archives.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
2221072
Seymour Lubetzky was born in a small village, in what is now known as Belarus, on April 28th, 1898. It was there that he studied
literature and languages and worked as a teacher before immigrating to the United States in 1925. Lubetzky studied languages
at UCLA, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1931. In 1932, the University of California, Berkley awarded Lubetzky a master’s
degree in German languages and library science. After graduation, Lubetzky worked as a cataloger at UCLA and began regularly
publishing articles on cataloging principles. In 1943, Lubetzky was hired at the Library of Congress to help process a backlog
of books needing to be cataloged. His questioning of the existing cataloging system led to his publication of several articles
including Rules for Descriptive Cataloging and Cataloging Rules and Principles. Principles from these articles carried into
standards for the field and are still used in libraries across the world today, including the Library of Congress. Lubetzky
worked as a professor in the UCLA School of Library Science from 1960-1969, but continued to be active in the field long after
his retirement. His works earned him honors from the American Library Association including the Melvil Dewey Medal in 1977
and an honorary lifetime membership in 2002. Seymour Lubetzky was 104 when he died on April 5th, 2003.
Collection consists of subject and correspondence files, lecture notes, and audio tapes from the 1930s through the 2000s relating
to Lubetzky's work in cataloging and classification in the Library Information Science discipline.
This collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1: Original Collection, 1938-1987
- Series 2: Addition, 1929-2002
Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Audio recording: "Lecture Course on Cataloging and Classification" by
Seymour Lubetzky (University Archives Record Series 706).
UCLA Library Special Collections, University Archives.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lubetzky, Seymour--Archives.
University of California, Los Angeles. School of Library Service--Faculty--Archival resources.
Catalogers--United States--Archives.