John H. P. Pafford Diary, 1947
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Brief Description: Original typed manuscript with corrections and carbon copy of Diary of a Visit to American and Canadian Libraries from the 18th May to the 7th August 1947 by John H. P. Pafford, Goldsmith's Librarian, University of London. Pafford's tour of libraries was sponsored by the ALA International Relations Board with Rockefeller Foundation funds administered by the International Relations Office, Washington, D.C. (Frederick Cromwell, Director, 1947-48) for the Exchange of Personnel Program. Circulated to a limited number of librarians, the diary contains descriptions of cities, climate, travel, accommodations, food, the American personality, politics and culture. Individual libraries and librarians are described including buildings, collection subject fields, procedures, physical conditions of the library and collections, eccentricities, security, administration, organization, use and access. Of special interest are comparisons of British and American practices, discussion of the Farmington Plan and descriptions, criticisms and philosophies of education for librarianship. Itinerary included libraries in the cities of New York, Washington, Baltimore, Toronto, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Austin, New Orleans, Nashville, Knoxville, Charlottesville and New Haven.
Held at:
The American Library Association Archives
19 Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61802
Phone: 217 333 0798
Fax: 217 244 2868
Email: ala-archives [at] library.illinois.edu
Record Series Number: 7/1/20
Created by: International Relations Office (IRO)
Volume: 0.1 Cubic Feet
Acquired: 04/26/1974.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by entry date
Biographical Note for International Relations Office (IRO) : The International Relations Board (International Relations Round Table) creatred the International Relations Office (IRO) in June 1942 (1).  The IRO was set up to "carry on its work in cooperation with the other committees of the Association whose work had international implications" (2).  The IRO also functioned as an advisory agency for libraries abroad (3).  In 1942-45, the IRO served "as an operational agency for various projects of the Department of State, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other foundations and libraries" (4).  A "new" IRO was created in 1956 (5).  The IRO concentrated its efforts on library development and the director was charged to "study and investigate the state of library education in various parts of the world" (6).  The director was expected to spend several months of each year in nations on the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America (7).  In 1959, the IRO sponsored (with Rockefeller Foundation monies) a group of ten visiting Japanese librarians who studied reference and advisory services in the United States (8).  The IRO was disbanded in 1972 (9). The office reopened in 1976 before closing again in 1982, then reopening.
Subject Index
Buildings, Library
Cromwell, Frederick
Education for Librarianship
England
Exchange of Library Personnel
Farmington Plan
International Relations Board
Rockefeller Foundation
Languages of Materials
English [eng]