This box consists of speeches, letters, reports and memoranda produced by John Boynton Kaiser while he was director of public libraries in Oakland, California, 1927-1943, and director of the Newark public library 1943-1958. The materials in this box dealing with personnel, budget and public relations, sheds light on the operation of these two library systems. Most of the documents were produced by Kaiser in his official capacity as director of the libraries. There are however, three folders of material relating to the "power of print", an article published in Overland monthly and Outwest Magazine (1931). In this article and in speeches he gave throughout his career, Kaiser argued that the librarian, by opening up the world of print, would provide his patrons with access to a storehouse of knowledge that would enrich all spheres of their lives.
Unfortunately, that material in this box relating to the operations of the Oakland and Newark public library systems is incomplete. There is only three folders of Oakland material all of which were produced between 1933 and 1938. For material produced between 1927-1933 and 1938-1943 researchers will have to go to Oakland. Even for the 1933-1938 period there is obviously much material missing that might be found on the West coast. Similarly, the Newark material also has huge gaps, particularly after 1950. Many items that are missing from this collection probably can be located at Newark.
Box 4 Folder 1
The Oakland Public library, 1923-1936
This folder contains a miscellaneous collection of reports and memoranda, library building […] outside […] that influence public library […] calls, […] questions asked at the reference desk. There is also a transcript of a radio broadcast (March 20, 1933) "The Library Serves."
Box 4 Folder 2
Budget Problems, the Oakland system, 1936-1937
This folder includes memoranda speeches and letters. There is a copy of the library budget, 1936-1937, and an article "Problems of Library Finance," which was written for the University of Chicago Library Institute (August 1932).
Box 4 Folder 3
The Oakland Public Library, miscellaneous printed material, 1933-1943
This folder includes a copy of an article entitled "Civil Service and the Oakland Public Library History and Appraisal, 1916-1938" ALA Bulletin (June 1938).
Box 4 Folder 4
Newark-War and post war problems, 1943-1945
This folder includes speeches, letters and lectures dealing with problems of war and post war library service, service to veterans and questions on post war planning. The folder includes a speech "Our Job as Librarians," delivered before New Jersey chapter of ALA (January 21, 1943).
Box 4 Folder 5
Intellectuals, the Library and World War II, 1943
Speech based on Archibald MacLeish "A Time to Act," argues that the intellectuals were Hitler's first victims.
Box 4 Folder 6
Public Relations-Newark Transcript of radio program "The Branches," produced by Viola Hutchinson for WAAT (Newark), May 13, 1943
Box 4 Folder 7
Public Relations speeches, Newark Public Library, Spring 1943
"The place of the library in state and local government."
"Our Common Task."
"What are our Jobs as Librarians."
Box 4 Folder 8
Poems, 1943
"A Librarian's Faith," "After Sunset," an anonymous poem dedicated to John Boynton Kaiser.
Box 4 Folder 9
Speech before the Newark High School Men's Association: "Our Job as Librarians", October 1943
Box 4 Folder 10
The Newark Public Library: Progress and problems, circulation, number of borrowers, civil service, 1943-1944
Box 4 Folder 11
The R.C. Jenkinson collection of Fine Arts Printing, donated February 8, 1945
Includes descriptive catalog
Box 4 Folder 12
Boston Conference "Interpreting the Library through good public relations", November 22, 1945
Includes relevant correspondence
Box 4 Folder 13
Personnel and civil service problems: memoranda and printed materials, 1948-1949
Box 4 Folder 14
Goals and […] of the Newark Public Library: miscellaneous files and some printed material, 1948-1949
Box 4 Folder 15
"The […] of the Library" Bloomfield, New Jersey, 1949
This folder includes the organization's constitution, and some correspondence with Kaiser.
Box 4 Folder 16
Miscellaneous Newspaper clippings, 1949
Box 4 Folder 17
The Power of Print: a 1950 revision of a 1931 manuscript, 1950
Box 4 Folder 18
The Power of Print: speeches and correspondence, 1950
In this material, Kaiser compares the effectiveness of various methods of learning. The folder includes excerpts from Gloria Waldron's The Information Film A Report of the Public Library Inquiry of the Social Science Research Council.
Box 4 Folder 19
The Power of Print: copyright problems, correspondence, 1950
Box 4 Folder 20
The Power of Print: correspondence with Robert H. Land and John Pomfret of William and Mary College, asking for information on Bacon's Rebellion, 1950
Box 4 Folder 21
The Roseville Branch speech, March 31, 1952
Box 4 Folder 22
Speech before the Ironbound Citizen's Council honoring Mayor Corbin of Newark as a "friend of the Library", June 9, 1955
Box 4 Folder 23
Miscellaneous printed public relations material prepared for the Newark Public Library
Box 4 Folder 24
The Library and Television, memoranda and reports, 1950-1955
Box 4 Folder 25
Speech at the Joseph Conrad Centennial, sponsored by the Polish Arts club of "[…] extolls Polish contribution to American Life", October 4, 1957
This folder includes relevant correspondence.
Box 4 Folder 26
Miscellaneous printed material
Box 4 Folder 26
Newark Public Library News, 1945-
Box 4 Folder 26
Program for Conference on Eastern College Libraries, Columbia University, November 30, 1946
Box 4 Folder 26
Invitation to the UN's 11th anniversary celebration
Box 4 Folder 26
Report on the heading "Habits of Business Executives"