Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness (October 18, 1894- August 16, 1968) was a prominent American librarian and literary translator who served as Dean of the University of Michigan
's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964. Additionally, he held positions at a variety of public and university libraries, including the New York City Public Library, the University of Arizona
, and the University of California-Berkeley, as well as several others both in the United States and abroad. He also contributed articles to numerous scholarly journals within the library field, including Public Libraries
, The Library Quarterly
, and the Journal of Education for Librarians. In 1999, American Libraries
ranked him thirty-ninth on its list of "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century."
, North Dakota
on October 18, 1894. A first-generation American, Gjelsness was raised by his Norwegian immigrant parents Marius and Karoline Gjelsness to speak both the Norwegian and English languages. Gjelsness began his college education at the University of North Dakota
and graduated with a degree in zoology and a teacher's certificate in 1916. Following a brief stint as principal of a high school in the small town of Adams, North Dakota
, he enrolled in the Library School
at the University of Illinois. Shortly thereafter, however, Gjelsness was forced to postpone his education due to the United States' entry into World War I
. Following a year of service in the United States Army Air Service
in Western Europe, Gjelsness was discharged to serve as a reference librarian at the American Expeditionary Forces University in Beaune
, France
. After his time in Europe, Gjelsness returned to the University of Illinois to finish his education, emerging with a bachelor's degree in library science in 1920.
This allowed Gjelsness to take a variety of jobs at both public libraries and at major universities. These included positions as head of the Ordering Department at the University of Oregon
's library and later as senior bibliographer at the University of California-Berkeley. In 1924, Gjelsness was given an offer to study literature in his parents' homeland by The American-Scandinavian Foundation
. Over the course of his year at the University of Oslo
, he translated numerous works from Norwegian into English. His experiences were detailed in "A Librarian's Year in Norway," an article he contributed to the July 1925 issue of Public Libraries.
, where he spent four years principally in the cataloging department. In 1929, he left the university and moved to New York City. Here, he divided his time between heading the preparation division of the New York City Public Library and the Library Science department at Columbia University
, where he served as a lecturer. While living in New York, Gjelsness married Ruth Weaver. The couple later had two children, Elizabeth and Barent.
Also while in New York, Gjelsness also became active in the American Library Association
and served on various high-profile committees within the organization. These included the Committee on Cataloging and Classification, the American Agricultural Libraries Section, and the International Relations Board. He was also the group's treasurer between 1941 and 1947. Among Gjelsness's achievements with the ALA was his work as editor-in-chief revising the standard Anglo-American Cataloging Rules between 1935 and 1941 and the subsequent publication of ALA Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries in 1941.
After a brief stint back at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness took a job heading the Special Collections Division at the University of Arizona while concurrently lecturing at the University of Illinois and serving as a consultant at Vanderbilt University
. In 1937, he again left Arizona to return to the University of Michigan. After serving three years as a professor, he was promoted to Dean of the Library Science Department 1940, a position he held until 1964. Although he taught many courses at the university, his primary interest was in the history of American publishing of both books and periodicals. He also briefly served as the president of the Association of American Library Schools between 1948 and 1949.
During his tenure as dean, he also began to aid in the establishment and progress of libraries and library science department in foreign countries. Among these were a program he helped set up in Bogota, Colombia, work with the University of Baghdad
in Iraq
, and Mexico City
's Benjamin Franklin Library, where he served as director between 1943 and 1944. Gjelsness later returned to Mexico, resulting in the publication of one of his major works, The American Book in Mexico: A Bibliography of Books by Authors of the United States of America Published in Mexico, 1952-55. For this project, Gjelsness compiled and sorted a list of books written by Americans that were published and sold in Mexico, as well as wrote an introduction regarding publishing and readership in Mexico.
Gjelsness also contributed many articles to various scholarly journals on a variety of topics regarding libraries and the role of library schools. During his tenure as dean at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness observed in one such article originally published in 1945 that library science departments were improving but more still needed to be done to attract better candidates to careers in the field. He recommended increases in salaries to remedy the situation, putting the minimum figure at three thousand dollars per year.
, Puerto Rico
where he hired to assist in the foundation of the University of Puerto Rico
's Library Science Department. However, the day after his arrival, Gjelsness was killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident on August 16, 1968.
at the University of Michigan.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964. Additionally, he held positions at a variety of public and university libraries, including the New York City Public Library, the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, and the University of California-Berkeley, as well as several others both in the United States and abroad. He also contributed articles to numerous scholarly journals within the library field, including Public Libraries
Public Libraries (journal)
Public Libraries is the official journal of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. It is devoted exclusively to public libraries, and is published six times a year.-Early History:...
, The Library Quarterly
The Library Quarterly
The Library Quarterly is an academic journal published quarterly by the University of Chicago on subjects in library science, including historical, sociological, statistical, bibliographical, managerial, psychological, and educational aspects of the field. It was established to fill a need for...
, and the Journal of Education for Librarians. In 1999, American Libraries
American Libraries
American Libraries is the official news and features magazine of the American Library Association. Published six times per year, along with four additional digital-only supplements, it is distributed to all members of the organization...
ranked him thirty-ninth on its list of "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century."
Early life and education: 1894-1925
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness was born in the farming community of ReynoldsReynolds, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 350 people, 130 households, and 95 families residing in the city. The population density was 525.2 people per square mile . There were 135 housing units at an average density of 202.6 per square mile...
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
on October 18, 1894. A first-generation American, Gjelsness was raised by his Norwegian immigrant parents Marius and Karoline Gjelsness to speak both the Norwegian and English languages. Gjelsness began his college education at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
and graduated with a degree in zoology and a teacher's certificate in 1916. Following a brief stint as principal of a high school in the small town of Adams, North Dakota
Adams, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 203 people, 87 households, and 60 families residing in the city. The population density was 205.3 people per square mile . There were 118 housing units at an average density of 119.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 94.58% White, 1.97% from...
, he enrolled in the Library School
UIUC Graduate School of Library and Information Science
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science is a graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is considered the premier information school in the United States. Illinois has been consistently ranked as the top Library and Information Science graduate program...
at the University of Illinois. Shortly thereafter, however, Gjelsness was forced to postpone his education due to the United States' entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Following a year of service in the United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
in Western Europe, Gjelsness was discharged to serve as a reference librarian at the American Expeditionary Forces University in Beaune
Beaune
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After his time in Europe, Gjelsness returned to the University of Illinois to finish his education, emerging with a bachelor's degree in library science in 1920.
This allowed Gjelsness to take a variety of jobs at both public libraries and at major universities. These included positions as head of the Ordering Department at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
's library and later as senior bibliographer at the University of California-Berkeley. In 1924, Gjelsness was given an offer to study literature in his parents' homeland by The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation, is an American non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting international understanding through educational and cultural exchange between the United States and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden...
. Over the course of his year at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, he translated numerous works from Norwegian into English. His experiences were detailed in "A Librarian's Year in Norway," an article he contributed to the July 1925 issue of Public Libraries.
Professional career: 1925-1964
Upon his return to the United States, Gjelsness took a job in the University of Michigan LibraryUniversity of Michigan Library
The University of Michigan University Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The system, consisting of 19 separate libraries in 11 buildings, altogether holds over 9.55 million volumes, with the collection growing at the rate of...
, where he spent four years principally in the cataloging department. In 1929, he left the university and moved to New York City. Here, he divided his time between heading the preparation division of the New York City Public Library and the Library Science department at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he served as a lecturer. While living in New York, Gjelsness married Ruth Weaver. The couple later had two children, Elizabeth and Barent.
Also while in New York, Gjelsness also became active in the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
and served on various high-profile committees within the organization. These included the Committee on Cataloging and Classification, the American Agricultural Libraries Section, and the International Relations Board. He was also the group's treasurer between 1941 and 1947. Among Gjelsness's achievements with the ALA was his work as editor-in-chief revising the standard Anglo-American Cataloging Rules between 1935 and 1941 and the subsequent publication of ALA Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries in 1941.
After a brief stint back at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness took a job heading the Special Collections Division at the University of Arizona while concurrently lecturing at the University of Illinois and serving as a consultant at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. In 1937, he again left Arizona to return to the University of Michigan. After serving three years as a professor, he was promoted to Dean of the Library Science Department 1940, a position he held until 1964. Although he taught many courses at the university, his primary interest was in the history of American publishing of both books and periodicals. He also briefly served as the president of the Association of American Library Schools between 1948 and 1949.
During his tenure as dean, he also began to aid in the establishment and progress of libraries and library science department in foreign countries. Among these were a program he helped set up in Bogota, Colombia, work with the University of Baghdad
University of Baghdad
The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
's Benjamin Franklin Library, where he served as director between 1943 and 1944. Gjelsness later returned to Mexico, resulting in the publication of one of his major works, The American Book in Mexico: A Bibliography of Books by Authors of the United States of America Published in Mexico, 1952-55. For this project, Gjelsness compiled and sorted a list of books written by Americans that were published and sold in Mexico, as well as wrote an introduction regarding publishing and readership in Mexico.
Gjelsness also contributed many articles to various scholarly journals on a variety of topics regarding libraries and the role of library schools. During his tenure as dean at the University of Michigan, Gjelsness observed in one such article originally published in 1945 that library science departments were improving but more still needed to be done to attract better candidates to careers in the field. He recommended increases in salaries to remedy the situation, putting the minimum figure at three thousand dollars per year.
Retirement and death: 1964-1968
In 1964, Gjelsness retired from the University of Michigan. Still, he continued to serve the library profession, including a return to the University of Arizona's Special Collections Division. His final appointment sent him to San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
where he hired to assist in the foundation of the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
's Library Science Department. However, the day after his arrival, Gjelsness was killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident on August 16, 1968.
Personal papers
A collection of Gjelsness' personal papers, including some material written by members of his family, is housed at the Bentley Historical LibraryBentley Historical Library
The Bentley Historical Library is a historical library located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan...
at the University of Michigan.