Lubetzky (Seymour) papers, 1938-2003

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Summary

Title:
Seymour Lubetzky papers
Dates:
1938-2003
Creators:
Lubetzky, Seymour
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.
Extent:
11.2 linear ft. (8 record cartons and 8 document boxes)
Language:
and Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Seymour Lubetzky Papers (Collection 1544). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Seymour Lubetzky in 1987. Addition was donated by Richard Lubetzky in 2003.
Processing information:

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.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized into the following series:

  • Series 1: Original Collection, 1938-1987
  • Series 2: Addition, 1929-2002

Physical / technical requirements:

Reel-to reel audio materials are present and may need to be digitized prior to use or require special equipment for access.

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.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Mary Priest, 2015; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
Sponsor:
Processing of this collection was generously supported by the Constantine and Perina Panunzio Endowment for University Archives.
Date Prepared:
©2015 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-04-09T13:06-0700 . Supplementary encoding and revision by Caroline Cubé using Notetab Pro.

Access and use

Restrictions:

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.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Seymour Lubetzky Papers (Collection 1544). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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