Finding aid for the Robert Vosper papers LSC.1024
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff. Additions processed by Krystell Jimenez,
2018.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2018 November 9.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Robert Vosper papers
Creator:
Vosper, Robert
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1024
Physical Description:
19.2 Linear Feet
(14 cartons and 13 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1938-1997
Abstract: Robert Vosper (1913-1994), born in
Portland, Oregon, was an educator and librarian at the University of Kansas and UCLA. He
served as library director for UCLA from 1961 to 1973. After retiring in 1973, Vosper taught
courses at UCLA's School of Library Service, now known as the Graduate School of Education
and Information Studies. This collection contains his papers, including correspondence and
notes relating to professional meetings, committee work, teaching, and writing, as well as
personal files containing photographs, a transcript of his oral history, and
correspondence.
Language of Material: Materials are primarily in English
and French, with small amounts of material in German and Japanese.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access
special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on
this page.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access special collections
materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Conditions Governing Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All
other 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 The UC Regents do not
hold the copyright.
[Identification of item], Robert Vosper papers (Collection 1024). UCLA Library Special
Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Stephen Vosper; Gift; 1991. Addition; Loraine Vosper; Gift; 2003.
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline
Cubé, UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Additions processed by Krystell
Jimenez in the
Center for Primary Research and Training
(CFPRT)
, under the supervision of Angel Diaz, 2018. This collection was processed
at the box level.
Collection includes one unprocessed audiocassette.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
4233935
Robert Gordon Vosper was born on June 21, 1913 in Portland, Oregon. He was director of the
libraries of the University of Kansas and UCLA. Vosper received his BA and MA in Classics
from the University of Oregon in 1937 and 1939, respectively, and his library certificate
from UC Berkeley in 1940. He worked as a junior librarian at UC Berkeley (1940-1942) and
assistant reference librarian at Stanford University (1942-1944) before coming to UCLA in
1944, where he served as head of the library's acquisitions department (1944-1948),
assistant librarian (1948-1949), and associate librarian (1949-1952). He also served as
directory of libraries for the University of Kansas (1952-1961), after which he returned to
UCLA. Vosper served as UCLA library director until his retirement in 1973. He then taught
courses at the UCLA School of Library Service and was director of the William Andrews Clark
Memorial Library, UCLA (1966-1981).
During his career, Vosper received numerous awards and served on a number of committees. He
was director of the Association of Research Libraries' Farmington Plan Survey (1957-1958),
which was a plan developed by research libraries to ensure access to materials regardless of
war or other extreme circumstances. Vosper was also known for his opposition to the banning
of books during the McCarthy era and for pushing for multilingual sources. In May 1970,
Vosper came under pressure to shut down the library due to anti-war protests, but he refused
and posted a notice stating the libraries must remain sanctuaries for free access to
information. His writings focus on building library collections and various aspect of
library planning, as well as improving international cooperation between libraries. He
passed away on May 14, 1994 in Los Angeles, CA.
This collection contains the papers of Robert Vosper, including correspondence and notes
relating to professional meetings, committee work, teaching, and writing. Additional
materials include newsletters, meeting minutes and agendas, reports, newspaper clippings,
pamphlets, course materials, photographs, and publications written by Vosper. These
materials are related to Vosper's involvement in the American Library Association, Council
on Library Resources, International Federation of Library Association and Institution, and
the Association of Research Libraries, his directorship of the libraries of UCLA, University
of Kansas and Clark Library, and his teaching at UCLA's School of Library Service. The
personal files contain photographs, a transcript of his oral history, materials related to
his employment throughout his career, correspondence, a loyalty oath, civil service exam,
transcripts, master's degree exam results, a certificate for Order of the Crown from
Belgium, and letters of condolence sent to Loraine Vosper after his passing.
This collection has been arranged at the box level and subjects are arranged in
alphabetical order.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIO MATERIALS: Audio materials in this collection will require
assessment and possible digitization for safe access. All requests to access special
collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this
page.
Interview of Robert Vosper [oral history
transcript]
/ Dale E. Trevelen, interviewer. UCLA Library Special Collections,
Center for Oral History interview, 1990-1991. Available at UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
University of California, Los Angeles. Department of Library and
Information Science -- Faculty -- Archives.
University of California, Los Angeles. Library
Academic librarians -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives
Vosper, Robert -- Archives
box 7, box 8, box 9, box 20
American Library Association (ALA) 1950-1997
Contains materials related to Vosper's involvement in ALA, including correspondence and
forms for his honorary membership, meeting minutes, conference materials, an officer's
manual, and presidential addresses. Other topics addressed include rare books
conferences, the Committee on Opportunities for Negro Students, Committee to Aid Italian
Libraries, National Library Week, conferences in New York and New Orleans, ALA
Publishing Board, the ALA Council on freedom of access, the ALA presidency, and the
ALA's international relations.
box 5
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) 1963-1973
box 20, box 21
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library 1976-1993
Contains materials related to the Clark Library, including copies of the entry for the
Clark Library in the
Dictionary of Literary Biography and related
correspondence, additional correspondence, memos, newspaper clippings, committee
reports, newsletters, meeting minutes and agendas, notes on collection development
policy, fliers, and invitations to events. Some materials are related to the Center for
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Studies and the Faculty Advisory Committee.
box 6, box 7, box 14, box 15
Committees and conferences 1950-1988
Contains material related to committees Vosper sat on, including: American Council of
Learned Societies, the Alaska Library Association, Arrowhead Staff Conference,
California Association of School Libraries, Catholic Library Association, Computer Needs
Committee, Committee to Rescue Italian Art, Hawaii Library Association, Idaho Library
Association, International Bibliophile Association, Institute of American Cultures, 1967
International Book Fair, Kansas Library Association, Lilly Library Project, Mountain
Plains Library Association, Medieval and Renaissance Review Committee, National Library
of Medicine Facilities and Resources Committee, Near East Center review, ALA
Pennsylvania Library Association, Society for Research into Higher Education, search
committees for library positions, the Texas Governor's Conference on Libraries, Utah
Library Association, and the Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge-NASA Redstone project on NASA's
information program. Other subjects include: the University of Brasilia, University of
British Columbia, Gennadius Library, Hofstra University, Kent State University Ohio,
Lewis and Clark College Library, and Riverside Public Library.
box 21
Correspondence 1959-1993
Contains both personal and professional correspondence, including with the chancellor's
office and personal correspondence on Vosper's family history. Additional materials
includes photographs of libraries on the UCLA campus and a ceremony to present a
commemorative plaque to Vosper.
box 20
Council of Library Resources (CLR) 1968-1993
box 12, box 13
Farmington Plan Survey 1958-1979
Contains materials related to Vosper's work on the Farmington Plan Survey, which was an
attempt by librarians to ensure access to and preservation of foreign research materials
during war, conflict, or other events. The plan was later integrated into the
Association of Research Libraries' functions. These boxes include the
Farmington
Plan Handbook: Revised to 1961 and Abridged
, correspondence, reports, surveys,
materials for the Farmington Plan subcommittees on Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South
Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, a list of Middle Eastern book dealers, a survey
of African materials, newsletters, and a report titled "The Acquisition and Control of
Publications from the Middle East."
box 13
Government Advisory Committee (GAC) and UNESCO 1970-1977
Contains materials related to Vosper's work for the GAC on International Book and
Library Programs and their partnership with UNESCO. The GAC worked with the Department
of State, U.S. Information Agency and U.S. Agency for International Development on
overseas literary and library programs. The materials include correspondence, meeting
minutes and agendas, newspaper clippings, reports, pamphlets, meeting transcripts,
materials related to ALA panels, executive board meetings, library positions,
publications, and materials related to International Book Year 1972 and UN International
Scientific Information System.
box 3, box 4, box 22
International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) 1962-1992
Includes IFLA materials, consisting of Vosper's IFLA membership, pamphlets, notes,
correspondence, council sessions and steering committee minutes, newsletters, bulletins,
dues and finances, statutes, copyright materials, and materials on the Vosper Fellows
program and IFLA's UNESCO partnership, and photographs.
box 22, box 23, box 27
Personal files 1938-1997
Includes materials related to Vosper's personal life, including photographs, membership
cards, book orders, his early employment history, pay stubs, newspaper clippings,
correspondence, a loyalty oath, job offers, a civil service exam, student transcripts,
master's degree exam results, University of Oregon transcript, and a certificate for
Order of the Crown from Belgium (1977). Additional materials include Zamorano Club
materials, letters of condolence sent to Loraine Vosper following his death, programs
for memorial services, and an audiocassette labelled "Vosper" that may be an oral
history.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIO MATERIALS: Audio materials in this collection will require
assessment and possible digitization for safe access. All requests to access special
collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this
page.
box 1, box 2, box 15, box 16, box 17, box 18, box 19, box 26, box 27
Reprints and publications 1948-1993
box 9, box 10, box 11, box 12, box 23
UCLA School of Library Service (SLS) 1975-1994
Contains materials related to courses Vosper taught at the School of Library Service
(SLS) at UCLA, now the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Materials
include correspondence, course schedules, press releases, alumni news and directories,
pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and materials on the American Library in Paris and
British Council Library. Courses that Vosper taught included 400, 461, 230, and 272, as
well as some seminars. The correspondence also includes discussions on the decision to
merge the SLS with the education department after Chancellor Charles E. Young proposed
dismantling the program due to budgetary concerns.
box 5, box 24, box 25, box 27
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 1946-1993
Contains materials related to Vosper's work as head UCLA librarian and lectures at
UCLA. Materials include Emeriti Affairs Association papers, Academic Senate newsletters,
Vosper's UCLA appointment, papers on his replacement by Page Ackerman, pay stubs,
newspaper clippings, correspondence, his appointment at the Clark Library, the UCLA
Medal award (box 27), sabbatical materials, and newsletters for the UCLA and Clark
libraries. Additional materials include correspondence with the Chancellor's Office over
the renaming of the now Charles E. Young Research Library and notes on the library's
acquisition policies.
box 5, box 25, box 26
University of Kansas 1952-1994
Contains materials related to Vosper's work as director of the library at the
University of Kansas, including correspondence, newsletters, newspaper clippings,
photographs,
University of Kansas Alumni Magazine issues for 1957 and
1961, pamphlets, a 1953 issue of
California Librarian,
The
Gamut
newsletter, and a catalogue of exhibitions at the Kenneth Spencer
Research Library. Also included are materials related to Vosper's Guggenheim and
Fulbright fellowships, consisting of correspondence, pamphlets, research materials, and
ephemera.