Library Timeline | Librarian Timeline

    1889
  • A library is established in a single room in Holladay Hall, with Daniel Harvey Hill Jr., a professor of English and bookkeeping, and subsequent president of NC State College as the first college librarian. For the next 10 years, Hill ordered all of the books for the library and supervised the student assistants. Due to his scholarly interests, the early collection was dominated by the humanities and history, despite the agricultural and engineering focus of the curriculum.
  • The Board of Trustees appropriates $500 for "library purposes" and $150 for subscriptions for magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals.
    1925
  • The original D. H. Hill Library opens on October 15 (this building is now Brooks Hall).
    1942
  • All male library staff members leave for military service during World War II, with Director Harlan Brown taking a leave of absence until 1946. Reference librarian Reba Clevenger becomes the acting college librarian during this time.
    1944
  • School of Textiles Dean Malcolm Campbell's request for a Textiles School Library is presented to the North Carolina State College Library Committee on April 27. In the weeks following the presentation, a cooperative funding agreement is reached between the School of Textiles and the North Carolina State College Library allowing for the North Carolina Textile Foundation and Library to cover all of the costs associated with the founding and operating of a new facility at the School of Textiles.
  • Rachel Penn Lane assumes her duties as the first Textiles Librarian on October 23. One of her first accomplishments is to organize the Textiles collection within the D. H. Hill Library in preparation for relocation to the School of Textiles.
    1945
  • On June 6, the Textiles collection of 1000 books and periodicals is relocated to the School of Textiles in Nelson Hall.
    1946
  • Textiles Librarian Rachel Penn Lane has two articles published highlighting the new School of Textiles Library and textiles research resources, in the February and May issues of the North Carolina State College Textile Forum journal. Unfortunately, after this achievement, she dies later in the year.
  • Jane E. Byrd is appointed as the acting Textiles Librarian.
    1948
  • Katherine McDiarmid is appointed as the permanent Textiles Librarian.
    • 1954
    • As of May, the Textiles Library collection has increased from 1,000 volumes in 1945 to 4,500 volumes, 120 periodicals, and 37 international journals.
    • The Textiles Library is renamed the Burlington Textiles Library when Burlington Industries funds its expansion; a plaque is also dedicated to the four Burlington employees and School of Textiles alumni who served and died in WWII.
      1957
    • The William H. Harriss Collection of Modern Fabrics is donated to the School of Textiles by the Sanforized Company in honor of Mr. Harriss, a class of 1895 alumnus.
      1983
    • The Burlington Textiles Library expands at Nelson Hall. The expansion provides more room for book stacks, computers, and study space for students.
      1980s
    • The Speizman Hosiery Collection, consisting of approximately 450 samples of men's, women's, and children's hosiery dating from the 1930s to the 1980s, is donated to the library.
      1991
    • In conjunction with the move of the College of Textiles, the Burlington Textiles Library is moved to Centennial Campus. It was the first and is currently the only library on the Centennial Campus.
      2003
    • The Institute of Textile Technology (ITT) library collection is incorporated into the Textiles Library collection. The collection consists of monographs, bound journals, a thesis collection, technical reports, multi-media, and a very thorough collection of vendor technical information covering a wide swath of the textiles industry, dating back to the 1940s.
      2005
    • A collection of automotive fabric swatch books with samples of upholstery fabrics used in every make and model car from 1955-2004 is donated to the library.
      2007
    • Funding for the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library on Centennial Campus is approved by the North Carolina General Assembly, with $17 million appropriated for the planning phase and an anticipated project budget of $114 million.
      2009
    • Official ground breaking ceremony for the James B. Hunt Jr. Library takes place on October 26th.
    Textiles Anniversary Banner NCSU Libraries NCSU Library News NC State NC Research Campus Home

    Timeline