April 25, 2001
Note: The following is a hypothetical introduction for David C. Weber, director emiritus of the Stanford University Libraries.
I am honored to introduce a major figure in academic librarianship, David C. Weber, director emeritus of the Stanford University Libraries. Mr. Weber is the author of several books, including - with retired library architect Philip D. Leighton-the third edition of Keyes Dewitt Metcalf's classic Planning academic and research library buildings, published in 1999. He has also contributed numerous articles to American Libraries and other journals. He is past president of two American Library Association divisions: the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Technical Services Division (now the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services).
Mr. Weber received his MLS at Columbia and began his library career at Harvard University in 1948 and came to Stanford in the 1961. From 1969 until his retirement in 1990, he followed the example of and built on the moment created by his predecessors, Dr. Raynard C. Swank and Rutherford D. Rogers as Directors of the University libraries, as he helped Stanford, its faculty, and its library staff in bringing these University Libraries into the topmost qualitative group of superior university teaching and research libraries. When he arrived at Stanford, the library was, in many ways, the proverbial musty book warehouse. The level of professionalism, particularly in the branch libraries, had been fairly low. At a time when the University administration, was also working to transform the university as a whole from a parochial institution into one with national standing, Mr. Weber successfully increased the budget for library materials, new buildings to house them (including a new main library, an auxiliary library, and a new music library), and additional staff to manage them. He also oversaw the conversion of Stanford's holdings from Dewey to LC classification.
Under Mr. Weber's direction, library automation became a reality at Stanford. He was the force behind the first automation program at Stanford in the early 1970s, BALLOTS, which stood for Bibliographic Automation of Large Library Operations using a Timesharing System. BALLOTS served as a basis for later programs, most notably, the RLIN system, after Stanford became a partner in RLG in the late 1970s, and for Stanford's OPAC. He oversaw the conversion of the card catalog at the latter half of the 1980s. Although many libraries were already automated by the time Stanford's program was complete, few libraries had as many materials to reckon with as Stanford, in large part due to Mr. Weber's tireless efforts in collection development, one of his greatest strengths.
Mr. Weber faced a number of challenges in his career, including hellish budget cuts during the 1980s. Shortly before his retirement, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck, nearly destroying the old wing of the main library, which housed a significant portion of the collection, including the Special Collections Dept. , University Archives and government documents repository library, as well as most of the technical services staff offices. Stanford's response to the disaster resulted in Mr. Weber's 1990 book, Library buildings and the Loma Prieta earthquake experience of October 1989.
When I asked him what he felt his greatest accomplishments at Stanford were, he replied, "Good grief, how to answer that great question?!
"However, in a more inclusive note I would say:
Mr. Weber has devoted both his professional and personal life to helping make libraries and their collections, an ever more valuable resource for academic institutions and library users. In his essay, "The value of lifelong reading" (which appeared in On reading - in the year of the reader, 1987), "Libraries aren't merely symbolic, they are in fact the most expertly designed instrument for facilitating each of the kinds of reading. My every day is filled with a great deal of reading, for my own growth and understanding and pleasure. And my profession has been extraordinarily gratifying because I have contributed in some degree to helping others find and use and enjoy reading material."
Ladies and gentlemen, David Weber.