LHRT (Library History Round Table)

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The mission of the Library History Round Table (LHRT) is to encourage research and publication on library history and promote awareness and discussion of historical issues in librarianship.

Learn more about LHRT on the ALA website.

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"Librarians Navigating Change" oral history collection newly released

  • 1.  "Librarians Navigating Change" oral history collection newly released

    Posted 22 hours ago

    I'm thrilled to announce the release of "https://escholarship.org/uc/berkeleylibrary_navchange/. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Librarians Navigating Change", an oral history project which has just gone live on the University of California's eScholarship platform. The 15 oral history interview transcripts focus on changes in libraries, and particularly librarianship, over the past 40 years, as related by long-time UC Berkeley librarians. The collection comprises about 400 pages of transcripts, with narrators from a range of roles and services in this complex academic library setting, who were interviewed in April-May 2025. In this collection you'll find content related to:


    ·         Careers in librarianship

    ·         Changes in library service provision (especially the impact of COVID)

    ·         Technological change and adaptations

    ·         Changes in collection processes, publishing, and purchasing

    ·         Budgets, budgets, budgets

    ·         Organizational changes and their impact on collaboration and morale

    ·         Reflections on the rewards and difficulties of being an academic librarian

    ·         Advice for future generations of librarians, as the landscape changes dramatically


    There are also some great stories! Check out the one about how there was a black market for purchasing UC Berkeley Library passwords on Telegraph Avenue back in the day! 


    More information about the project is available at the UC Berkeley Library's piece https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/news/glusker. Click or tap if you trust this link.">here.  I hope you'll take a look, and I welcome your comments and feedback-please contact me at glusker@berkeley.edu .   All the best!

    Ann Glusker
    Liaison Librarian for Sociology, Demography, Psychology, & School of Social Welfare; Librarian for Research Methods

    University of California, Berkeley; Social Research Library, 227 Haviland Hall 94720-6000

    Email: glusker@berkeley.edu (she/her); ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2852-5293. Click or tap if you trust this link.">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2852-5293

    Appointments:  http://tinyurl.com/glusker. Click or tap if you trust this link.">tinyurl.com/glusker (or email me)

    [Mostly remote: 2026 on campus= Feb 1-15,  June 6-17]

    Research guides: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/soc. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Sociology, https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/dem. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Demography, https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/psychology. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Psychology, https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/subject-guide/10-Social-Welfare-Research-Toolkit. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Social Welfare, https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/researchmethods. Click or tap if you trust this link.">Research M


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    Brett Spencer
    Reference Librarian
    Thun Library, Penn State Berks
    He/Him/His
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