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History

UC San Diego Library Milestones

September 26, 1903 The Marine Biological Association of San Diego was formed to endow a scientific institution that became known as the San Diego Marine Biological Station. UC Berkeley zoologists William E. Ritter was named Scientific Director. His personal collection of books was referred to as the institution's library.
March 1905 Harvard oceanographer Alexander Agassiz visited the marine biological station in La Jolla and donated books to its library.
August 10, 1907 The Marine Biological Association purchased a tract of 170 acres near Long Beach, at auction for $1000. The San Diego Marine Biological Station began move to its current site.
1910 Nina Wadell joined SIO staff as part-time librarian and superintendent of grounds.
July 1, 1912 The Marine Biological Association of San Diego deeded its property (174 acres and one building) in consideration of a sum of $10 to the Regents of the University of California. Marine Biological Association ceased to exist, and the Scripps Institution for Biological Research of the University of California was established.
January 1913 Dr Samuel Stillman Berry, from Stanford, was appointed the first SIO Librarian. He purchased books, including rare volumes on a buying trip to Europe, but the library collection was not cataloged.
March 1915 SIO Director Ritter noted the Scripps Library consisted of about 3,500 bound volumes and a much larger number of pamphlets.
June 1916 The new library-museum building constructed at SIO at a cost of $24,938 was completed. Building costs and binding costs donated by Ellen Browning Scripps. E.B. Scripps also made a donation for library purchases.
October 1, 1919 Tillie Genter joined SIO staff as secretary to the director and librarian. Miss Genter knew where every book was located in the library; the collection was still uncataloged.
1923 The library collection grew to 9,000 volumes.
1925 SIO Library becomes a depository for the USGS and Carnegie Institution of Washington.
October 13, 1925 Regents formally changed the name of the station from Scripps Institution for Biological Research to Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
1928 Miss Ruth Ragan took a job as a secretary in the SIO director's office and took over responsibilities for the library formerly undertaken by Tillie Genter. The collection was cataloged using the Dewey Decimal System.
1933 By this date a SIO Library Committee was formed which recommended purchases and approved policy.
1938 Mrs. Bresler, a trained cataloger and Works Progress Administration (WPA) worker was added to the library staff. Mrs. Bresler and the SIO Library Committee recommended that the SIO Library collection be recataloged from the Dewey Decimal system to the Library of Congress system.
1946 The SIO Library collection numbered 21,065 volumes.
1948 The SIO Library collection comprised over 22,000 volumes and 450 journal titles.
1950 W. Roy Holleman, SIO's first professional librarian, was appointed.
1960 SIO Library staff consisted of 2 FTE librarians and 2.5 FTE clerical assistance. The University Regents approved the plan to create a UC campus at La Jolla. Melvin J. Voigt appointed University Librarian. SIO Librarian reported to the University Librarian.
February 18, 1960 A request was submitted for 1800 square feet of space in the proposed Laboratory III building on the upper campus as a library for the School of Science and Engineering.
March 18, 1960 The SIO Library staff included 3 FTE from the School of Science and Engineering (UCLJ). There was a combined acquisitions and cataloging operation located at SIO Library.
1961 UCSD Friends of the Library was founded.
1961 The old SIO Library building was modified to provide additional stack space and an elevator was installed. Holleman resigned as SIO Librarian; the position was unfilled for two years.
February 1, 1963 Joseph Gantner succeeded Holleman as the SIO Librarian.
February 19, 1963 Charter Meeting of the Friends of the UCSD Library was convened by Helen Raitt at Sumner Auditorium, SIO. Helen Raitt is was elected chair of the organization. The bylaws were written in 1963.
May 15, 1963 Several library departments moved out of the SIO Library and into Building B on the upper campus.
1963 Science & Engineering Library established in Urey Hall
December 6, 1963 Mexican Consul, Señor Ignacio Pesquiera, dedicated the Baja California special collection at a meeting of the Friends of the UCSD Library at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
1964 Undergraduate Library established in Building E (Galbraith Hall)
1964 UCSD Library moved to Urey Hall
1964 Biomedical Library established at the new School of Medicine.
November 8, 1967 The Friends of the UCSD Library created a Board of Directors as the governing body of the organization which met for this first time on this date. The ex-Officio chair was Chancellor John S. Galbraith.
1970 Central University Library opened.
1970 SIO Library was designated a UC systemwide resource library for oceanography.
1976 Melvin J. Voigt retires as University Librarian.
December 1976 The SIO Library moved into the Carl Eckart Building designed by Fred Liebhardt. The old 1915 library building was demolished.
1977 Millicent D. Abell, second University Librarian was hired.
June 27, 1979 Carl Leavitt Hubbs deeded his personal library and manuscript collection to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Melvin Voigt confirmed that it would be maintained as a Special Collection in the SIO Library. SIO Archivist Betty Shor moved the collection into the Carl Eckart Building.
1981 UCSD Medical Center Library opened.
1985 Dorothy D. Gregor, hired as third University Librarian.
June 6, 1990 UCSD University Librarian Dorothy Gregor announced that the UCSD Libraries online catalog of its holdings would be named Roger in honor of Roger Revelle.
1993 Central Library expansion was completed; library rededicated
April 1993 Gerald R. Lowell, fourth University Librarian was hired.
1995 University Library renamed Geisel Library in honor of Audrey and Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
April 1997 UC's Melvyl system became available with a Web interface. Access was provided to the first electronic serials.
1999 Brian E. C. Schottlaender, fifth University Librarian hired.

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