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Vosper (Robert) papers
LSC.1024
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Table of contents
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