Archives Home
Contact Archives

Timeline of the Library at Wilmington College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Edited by Adina Lack, UNCW Archivist

Introduction: This is an unofficial timeline, created by faculty and staff of William M. Randall Library in 1997.  It was originally in the format of a banner that was displayed in the library to welcome the new University Librarian, Sherman Hayes.  The text was transcribed, edited, and placed online in Spring, 2001.

Note:   It is not necessarily a complete story of the library, but it does capture aspects of history as remembered and recorded by library employees at the time.  Any errors made are the responsibility of the UNCW Archivist.  Please contact the archivist (962-4233) if you have questions or corrections. 

Highlights of Our History by Sue Ann Cody was a valuable reference for use in constructing this timeline.

 

1950

Circulation records kept in cardboard covered notebooks

 

1952

Full accreditation by Southern Association

 

1964

20,000 volumes in Library in October

 

1964-65

• Wilmington College became a liberal arts college
• Library had complete file of Chemical Abstracts
• Library first requested status as government documents depository
• 44 titles borrowed through ILL

 

1965

• Library converted from Dewey Decimal System to Library of Congress Classification in July
• Library became partial depository for United States government documents.

 

1965-1967

Book collection doubled during this time

 

1969

• Groundbreaking held for new library building
• Library moved from the Edwin A. Alderman Administration Building to its own new building
• William Madison Randall Library opened

 

1969-1970

• 40% increase in circulation
• Marine Science Collection developed in anticipation of graduate program
• Library was open 77 hours a week

 

1970-71

• Collection surpassed 80,000
• 88 titles borrowed through ILL

 

April 1972

• Collection = 100,000 volumes
• Card catalog = 472 drawers

 

1972-73

• Alton A. Lennon papers donated
• Randall Library became Charter member of SOLINET

 

 1973-74

• Book budget = $16,000.
• Subscriptions cost $17,000.
• Government documents collection = 1603 linear feet

 

1975

Online cataloging via OCLC began in July

 

1976

Arlene Hanerfeld hired the first SPA employee to work the night shift in Reader Services (reference and circulation)

 

1977

A/V collection established

Gene Huguelet came to Randall Library

 

1978

Gene Huguelet began as Library Director

 

1983

Retrospective conversion from card catalog to online catalog began in December

 

1985

• Retrospective conversion completed in July
• Lana D. Taylor was hired as first African American librarian at UNCW

 

1987-88

• A new integrated library automation system, LS-2000, was introduced
• Collection = 300,000 bound volumes
• Stopped filing cards in card catalog in fall 1987.

 

1988

• Began using LS-2000 for circulation in January
• Became full depository for North Carolina documents

 

1990

• GOVDOCS subscription begin
• US document records added to catalog
• Louise Jackson, Head of Reference, won Governor’s Award for Excellence, in recognition of performance of exceptional merit to the state of North Carolina.

 

1991-92

• ILL borrowed              7,308
• ILL  loaned                3,774

           11,082 items

1992-93

Stopped using LS-2000

 

1993

Acquisitions and Cataloging merged to form Technical Services

 

1993-94

Open 343 days ... 98.5 hrs./wk.

 

1994

• Acquisitions was last module to migrate to INNOPAC, the new library automation system
• Beginning in December, staff no longer had to type purchase orders

 

1995

Serials moved to Technical Services

 

1996

• Lana D. Taylor retired in July.
• In October, Technical Services started using newly purchased work station with Windows 95.
• Randall Library entered the 70 millionth ILL request in the OCLC database in October.

 

1997

Sherman Hayes began as University Librarian on July 31, 1997.

Last Update: December 20, 2005