R. W. (Richard W.) Meyer Papers
Collection
Identifier: MS346
This collection is made up of eleven series, which document Richard Meyer's professional activities during his thirty-eight years as a library administrator in academic libraries. Series 7, the largest series, contains files on research completed for Meyer's publications and presentations. Also included are materials on consulting, advisory boards, accreditation reviews, and conferences and workshops, as well as some documentation of his graduate work in Library Science and Economics, and a small amount of material on each of his professional positions.
(45 document cases, 1 half-size document case, 1 oversize box)
A few files in this collection have been restricted because of privacy/confidentiality concerns.
Permission to publish materials from this collection must be obtained from the Head of Archives and Special Collections.
19.2 Linear Feet
This collection is made up of eleven series, documenting Richard Meyer's professional activities during his thirty-eight years as a library administrator in academic libraries. Series 1, Graduate work, contains research papers and notes from coursework that Meyer completed for his M. S. in Library Science and his M. A. in Economics. Series 2 consists of a small number of files dating from each of his professional positions. Series 3, 4 and 5 contain papers relating to Meyer's accreditation reviews, his consulting work, and his service on advisory boards, particularly his work for the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET; later Lyrasis). Series 6 is made up of programs and related materials from professional conferences, workshops, and meetings that Meyer attended during the course of his professional life.
By far the largest series, Series 7 contains files on research completed for Meyer's publications and presentations. These files include research and/or presentation notes, related correspondence, and article drafts, as well as the completed publications, in many cases. Series 8 consists of files on book and article reviews. Series 9, a small series, consists of general office files and correspondence.
Four videotapes of Meyer's presentations are housed in Series 10. The final series, Series 11, contains several plaques and certificates. Notable in this series is a plaque for the K. G. Saur Award for the best article in College and Research Libraries (July 2000), and a certificate of appreciation for his service on the SOLINET Board of Directors (2004-2007).
R. W. (Richard W.) Meyer served as the Dean and Director of Libraries at the Georgia Institute of Technology from October 2000 until his retirement in August 2008. Prior to his appointment at Georgia Tech, he was the Director of the Library at the Elizabeth Huth Coates Library at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas for nine years. From August 1979 to July 1991, he held the position of Associate Director of Libraries at Clemson University. Earlier appointments included the Director of Library Technical Services at Indiana State University (1976-1979) and the Assistant Director for Technical Services at the University of Texas at Dallas Library (1970-1976).
After receiving a B. A. in Library Science and a B. S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri in 1967, Meyer went on to complete an M. S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois in 1970. He worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois Library during 1969-1970. He also served as Assistant Librarian at E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. at the Savannah River Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina between 1967 and 1969. In his first position after receiving his M. S. degree, at the University of Texas at Dallas Library, Meyer served as Assistant Director and developed the Library's technical services department. He was in charge of the Library's budget, and he guided UTD's participation in the development of the first computer output microfiche catalog in the United States. Meyer moved to a similar position at the Indiana State University Library in 1976, where he reorganized the workflow and operation of technical services, started a new department for data input and maintenance, and began a staff development program.
In August 1979, Meyer became Associate Director of Libraries at Clemson University, a position he held for twelve years. During his period at Clemson, he continued his work in library automation by initiating the installation of NOTIS for acquisitions and cataloging and BRS Search software for database access to journal articles. He also helped develop and supervise a reorganization of the Library, chaired a task force on emergency preparedness, and directed personnel operations. While employed at the Clemson Library, he completed an M. A. in Economics from Clemson. Meyer became the Director of the Coates Library at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas in August 1991. While there he developed and implemented a strategic plan, which improved the Library's automation program, provided better access to collections, and improved bibliographic instruction. He also oversaw an expansion project that added 32,000 square feet to the Library building.
In 2000, Meyer was appointed Dean and Director of Libraries at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Among his many accomplishments during his eight years as Dean, Meyer oversaw the development of the Library West Commons, an information commons with 100 workstations, as well as the Library East Commons, which included a flexible study/teaching/performance space, coffee shop, and group study areas. He directed numerous innovations in the Library, including the establishment of the Digital Initiatives department (later the Scholarly Communication and Digital Services department) and the foundation of Georgia Tech's institutional repository, SMARTech. In addition, Meyer began a program to provide 24-hour access to the Library from Sunday through Thursday.
Throughout his professional life Meyer published widely on topics relating to library automation and technology, journal pricing, scholarly communication, and librarians as professionals, on issues such as tenure, salaries, and faculty status. He also published on the subject of the economy of acid rain control, the topic of his master's thesis in economics. His output includes well over forty scholarly articles and book chapters, and more than fifty presentations and reviews.
Source: Richard W. Meyer resume, at http://www.library.gatech.edu/research_help/librarians/documents/RMeyer.pdf. Accessed on May 12, 2009.
Arranged into eleven series, some of which have been divided into subseries:
A print copy of this finding aid is available in the Georgia Tech Archives reading room.
Obtained by gift, July 2008 (2008.048).
Photographs from this collection will be separated and processed separately, as VAM346.
(45 document cases, 1 half-size document case, 1 oversize box)
Christine de Catanzaro, Katherine King, and Mallory Velten processed these papers in May 2009.
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, Library, Georgia Institute of Technology Repository