George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library

The George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library is one of the subject specialty libraries at University of California, Berkeley, and is one of only three anthropology libraries at American research universities.[1] The library supports the University of California, Berkeley anthropology department.[2]

The George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library
37.869843°N 122.255285°W / 37.869843; -122.255285
Established1956
Collection
Size80,000 (volumes)
Access and use
Population served43,000 Cal faculty, staff and students in addition to the Bay Area
Other information
DirectorCelia Emmelhainz (librarian)
Employees3 (1 librarians; 2 staff; 10+ student employees)
Websitewww.lib.berkeley.edu/libraries/anthropology-library

History

The Anthropology Museum and anthropology department at UC Berkeley were founded in 1901, followed by a small departmental library established before 1909.[3]

Yet "when I came to Berkeley in 1948, there was no Anthropology Library,” professor John Rowe wrote.[4] Rowe found it difficult to access anthropology books scattered throughout the Main library, and so established a one-room anthropology library in the department's new temporary quarters. The two-floor anthropology library was eventually established in Kroeber Hall in 1959.[5]

According to LibraryThing, the library was established in 1956 as a separate branch.[6]

Renaming

The UC Berkeley anthropology library was renamed after Berkeley anthropologists George and Mary Foster in 1997.

Occupy Cal in the Anthropology Library, 2012
Occupy Cal writing their resolution to send to the administration to reinstate anthropology library hours and services.

On January 17, 2012, a proposal was brought to the Occupy Cal General Assembly to occupy the library[7] due to a decision by administration to reduce the library's hours and services.[8] Part of the overall trend of privatization and divestment in public resources,[9] the university has reduced spending on its libraries by 12 percent since 2012.[10][11] With mass approval by the General Assembly, members of Occupy Cal decided to lead a study-in of the anthropology library on January 19 to demand the reinstatement of the library's hours and resources.[12]

Occupy Cal occupied UC Berkeley's anthropology library for 3 days following cuts to library hours and resources.

On January 19, 2012, following a noon-time rally by the larger Occupy Cal community, a group of roughly 100 students, faculty, and staff occupied the anthropology library and sent their demands[12] to the administration.[13] The non-violent study-in lasted 3 days and 2 nights, and involved several email exchanges between administration, and students and faculty.[14]

On January 21, 2012, the occupiers were notified by the administration that their demands would be met: library hours would be reinstated, and a replacement job would be created to achieve regular access to the library.[15]

Protests at the Anthropology Library, 2022

On February 28, 2022, the UC Berkeley Library announced that it was closing the Foster Anthropology Library indefinitely, due to "severe and sustained staffing shortages."[16] This decision was reversed after 40 students and faculty organized to protest the closure, although "a librarian will no longer be available. Students will not be able to check out materials or receive research assistance."[17]

Collections

As of 2009, the Anthropology Library has over 80,000 volumes of books and bound journals.,[18] comparable to Harvard's Tozzer Anthropology Library, which now holds 80,000 volumes, and more off-site.[19][20]

The Foster Library collects books in the four fields of anthropology, including cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology, especially on California and Latin American populations.

Librarians

An anonymous donor endowed the John H. Rowe Librarian position in the anthropology library in 1998. [21]

See also

References
  1. "Nameless No More: The Anthropology Department Names Its Library in Honor of the Fosters". Berkeleyan. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  2. "Anthropology Librarian Endowed in Honor of Rowe". Berkeleyan. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  3. Steins, Janet (2004). "Anthropology Libraries". In Drake, Miriam (ed.). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Marcel Dekker. pp. 53–63. ISBN 978-1-4200-6803-0.
  4. "ACHIEVING AN ANTHROPOLOGY LIBRARY". Emeritus Lecture Series. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  5. Steins, Janet (2004). "Anthropology Libraries". In Drake, Miriam (ed.). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Marcel Dekker. pp. 53–63. ISBN 978-1-4200-6803-0.
  6. "The George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library, University of California, Berkeley". librarything. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  7. "Anthropology Library". UC Berkeley Library. Archived from the original on 2014-08-29. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  8. Afzal, Afsana (January 18, 2012). "Occupy Cal to hold demonstration in Anthropology Library". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  9. Freeman, Melissa (February 9, 2012). "California's UC System Shows Why Privatizing Public Higher Education Is Not The Solution". Mic. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  10. Asimov, Nanette (October 16, 2012). "UC Berkeley's libraries next chapter may be cuts". SFGate. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  11. Anson, Matthew Grant (June 21, 2012). "UC Berkeley's world-renown library system on the chopping block". CA FWD. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  12. "Cal Anthro Library Study-in". occupy california. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  13. "Occupy Cal stages 'study-in' at Kroeber Hall". Berkeley News. January 20, 2012. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  14. Bady, Aaron (January 21, 2012). "Occupy The Library". The New Inquiry. Archived from the original on 2017-03-23.
  15. "Occupy Cal library protest ends". Berkeley News. January 22, 2012. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  16. "Anthropology Library to close doors indefinitely". UC Berkeley Library News. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  17. "Anthropology Library to remain open after students, faculty plan sit-in". Daily Cal. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  18. "The George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library, University of California, Berkeley". librarything. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  19. "Revitalizing Tozzer". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  20. "Anthropology Library Reopens". The Crimson. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  21. "Anthropology Librarian Endowed in Honor of Rowe". Berkeleyan. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  22. Steins, Janet (2004). "6". In Drake, Miriam (ed.). Anthropology Libraries. Marcel Dekker. pp. 53–63. ISBN 978-1-4200-6803-0.
  23. "Dorothy Koenig's Obituary on San Francisco Chronicle". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  24. "In Memoriam Dorothy A Koenig". UC Berkeley Library Staff News. Archived from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  25. "Anthropology Librarian Endowed in Honor of John Rowe". Berkeleyan. Archived from the original on 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  26. "Interim Head Appointment, Anthropology Library". UC Berkeley Library Staff News. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  27. "New Anthropology & Qualitative Research Librarian". Berkeley Library Update. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
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