Richter Library’s Nathan and Sophia Gumenick Family Lobby in 2003
Some patrons may find swiping their ‘Cane Card to enter the Richter Library is a nuisance, but the turnstiles are there to provide improved security for patrons and our collections.
A few days ago a colleague in the library asked me when they were installed in the library, so I researched our digital resources and found out that the date was November 18, 1972. Please go to the link below to read the August 26, 1974, Veritas article “Library Attendance.”
Also, please see the interesting internal document below, which is meeting minutes dated May 24, 1972, recommending the installation of a card-operated turnstile ASAP.
Richter’s Public Service Heads met on May 24, 1972 and made a recommendation to install a turnstile for security.
Dr. Archie McNeal, director of the Libraries who served from 1952 to 1979, oversaw the completion of the Otto G. Richter Library.
Throughout Archives Month, University of Miami Libraries (UML) archivists have been sharing stories conveying the importance of access to archives and the unique and historical materials preserved in them. The University Archives is a resource that houses photographs, yearbooks, student newspapers, administrative records, memorabilia, and many other materials pertaining to UM history.
Weeks ago I exchanged a heartwarming correspondence with a community member who had found an Otto G. Richter Library brochure from the 1960s while going through family albums. She wondered if we’d be interested in adding it to our collections. She also mentioned being the niece of the late Dr. Archie L. McNeal, the first director of the University Libraries who served from 1952 to 1979. With more than thirty-five years having passed since Dr. McNeal’s retirement, the donor didn’t expect anyone currently at the Libraries to remember her uncle’s name, yet I knew the name quite well.
In fact, the important legacy of Dr. McNeal and his service to the University is one that is well preserved at the Archives: Dr. McNeal led the Libraries through an important phase of collection development, during which the Libraries’ holdings grew from 273,000 volumes to approximately 1.4 million volumes. He oversaw the construction of the Richter Library, completed in 1962, and is also well known for leading a number of important scholarly research initiatives.
Searching for Dr. McNeal’s name led quickly to a number of links to online records from his tenure, including archived articles from The Miami Hurricane describing some of the library programs initiated under his leadership and iconic photos from the 1950s through 1970s featuring Dr. McNeal in action at the library (such as the ones in this post). I was honored to be able to provide Dr. McNeal’s niece with these records that document his important work at the Libraries, and am happy to share them with you as a part of Archives Month. Check out more photos of this former director in UML’s Digital Collections for a glimpse into the early years of the library and an important time of growth for our University.
Dr. Archie McNeal and Jay F. W. Pearson, President of the University of Miami [n.d.]
I would like to share with you a very special picture of the first three directors of Richter Library below. The monumental picture was taken at Richter’s 1997 Holiday Party.
[Dr. McNeal (left), Mr. Bosseau (center), Mr. Rogers (right)]
We were able to locate the following names, titles, and dates of service in the “Library Roster (1947-)” in our collection.
1) Dr. Archie L. McNeal was the first Director served from 1952 to 1979. He was the director at the dedication of Richter Library in 1962.
2) Mr. Frank Rogers was the second Director from 1979 to 1997.
3) Mr. Don Bosseau was the Director of Libraries from 1997 to 2002.
4) Mr. William D. Walker was the Dean and University Librarian from 2003 to 2013.
5) Dr. Charles Eckman is the current Dean and University Librarian since December 2013.
Mr. William G. Harkins served as the first full-time Librarian of the University before Dr. McNeal from 1940 to 1952.
Please go to the link below for more about the library and its history. Opened in 1962, the Otto G. Richter Library at the University of Miami celebrated 50th anniversary in 2012.
University of Miami Archives -- Let's Archive It 