1963-1973: Era of reorganisation & consolidation

1963-1973: Era of reorganisation & consolidation

The opening of the R.G. Menzies Building marks off the beginning of this era. Its importance lies in its significance in the development of the newly-established national university: the completion of the University's first permanent library building.

This period of the Library's history converges on two issues: consolidation and reorganisation, particularly as a long-term implication of the amalgamation and the initial decisions made as a result of it. The University Librarian, J.J. Graneek made a proposal in 1967 that somewhat contradicts an earlier one, where he argued for two separate libraries under one system: an undergraduate and the other for research, in this proposal he raised the idea of a different administrative structure that "will bring a sense of unity to the Library system" (Vidot, 1996:51).

He wrote, "After seven years of amalgamation we should be prepared to abandon the distinction between Institute and School...and to adopt ...a more functional and rational differentiation between research requirements...and undergraduate needs" (Proposal to Council dated 12 December 1967 "Library Development with Special Reference to Undergraduate and Research Collections"). He labelled this ingenuously as "coordinated decentralization". The restructuring involved the reorganisation of the library administration into three sections: Collection Building and Reader Services, Administration and Technical Services and Asian Studies Division, each headed by an associate librarian.

As part of this objective to consolidate, he also introduced the reclassification of the library collection from the two previously-used systems Bliss (IAS) and Dewey (CUC) to Library of Congress. The system was selected on the grounds that it is the least unsatisfactory of those available at the present time, that it is in use in a number of major libraries in the United States and the United Kingdom and that a number of medium to large libraries in the United States are at present transferring from other classifications to Library of Congress.

The adoption makes full use of the expert services provided by the Cataloguing Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, including the use of printed card proof sheets, thereby increasing the output of our cataloguing department with a consequential reduction in the cost of each title catalogued." (Annual Report 1966).

Taken from Vidot, P.A. (1996) The History of the Australian National University Library 1946-1996.Canberra: ANU Library.