Library Acquisition Letterbooks, 1894-1906 | University of Illinois Archives

Acquisitions, cataloging, serials, and special languages are the technical departments of the Campus Library. Together with their divisions, such as binding, photographic services, gift and exchanges, and documents, the departments order, receive, organize, and prepare library material. In 1897, the Catalog Department was formed, with the responsibility for classifying and cataloging all books acquired to make them available for users. In 1904, an Order Department was established for the acquisition of books. During the next thirty years, divisions developed within these two departments. The Catalog Department included general cataloging, serials cataloging and card divisions. The Order Department had purchase, gift and exchange and periodicals divisions. Acquisitions procures western language monographs, and the cataloging department arranges them for use. Except for newspapers, western language serial publications are handled by the serial department. Non-Roman alphabet serials and monographs are responsibility of the special languages department and its three divisions; Far Eastern, South and West Asian, and Slavic.¹ All the technical departments grew out of cataloging and ordering activities that, in 1916, formed three departments: binding, order, and catalog.² In 1942, the order department received the new designation of acquisitions. Its responsibilities covered photographic services and binding.³ In 1955, several activities of the catalog and acquisitions department were detached and combined to set up the serials department. Its chief tasks have to do with the obtaining, cataloging, and classifying printed matter published at intervals.⁴ In 1964, the special languages department was established.⁵ In 1966, the Automation Division of the Serials Department was formed.

1. Library Annual Report, 1972-73, p. 3, 9; Library Annual Report, 1974-75, pp. 1-4.

2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 28th Report, June 30, 1916, p. 25.

3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 41st Report, June 30, 1942, pp. 567, 1105.

4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 48th Report, June 30, 1956, p. 1403.

5. Board of Trustees Transactions, Supplement, 53rd Report, July 21, 1965, p. 163.