Charles H. Stevens: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:25, 10 November 2025

Charles H. Stevens (b. 1924) was an American librarian.

Life

Charles H. 'Chuck' Stevens was born December 10, 1924 in Chicago. He served as First Lieutenant in US Army Ordnance Corps in the Pacific Theater of Operations, 1943-1946. He studied English 1942-1943 & 1946-1949 at Principia College, in Elsah, IL (AB, 1949) and then engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (later renamed the New York University Tandon School of Engineering). He received a BS (1952) and an MA (1955) in Library Science at the University of North Carolina.

His interests included: computer techniques, administration, space and building planning, and information transfer. He believed information was a natural resource and was committed to information resource sharing via a national network.

Stevens worked at the University of North Carolina library, 1951-52, was Librarian, US Air-Ground Operations School in North Carolina, 1952-54, then Librarian, Aeronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 1954-56, then Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering 1957-59.

In 1959 he moved to MIT, where he was Director of library service, Lincoln Labs, MIT 1959-65; Director of library and publications, MIT, 1962-65; then Associate director for Library Development of Project Intrex and director of the Model Library Project, 1965-72.

Stevens was Executive Director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, In 1972-1974, then of the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), Atlanta.

Publications

"Library pathfinders: A new possibility for cooperative reference service." With M. P. Canfield & J. J. Gardner. College & Research Libraries 34, no. 1 (Jan.1973): 40-46. [1]
"Governance of Library Networks." Library Trends 26, no, 2 (Fall 1977): 219-240.

Contributions

Stevens was involved with INTREX Pathfinders, self-guided leaflets for library searching, which once developed, could be adapted for other libraries. Each was concerned with a specific topic and were based on the assumption that readers' questions are of four types: directional; ready reference; search; and library instruction (use). "The Library Pathfinder is a kind of map to the resources of the library; it is an information locator for the library user whose search for recorded materials on a subject of interest is just beginning. A compact guide to the basic sources of information specific to the user's immediate needs, it is a step-by-step instructional tool that will, if followed, place before the user those items that the most skilled reference librarian would suggest as basic to an initial investigation to the topic." (Stevens & others 1973, p. 42).

Offices

Special Libraries Association. Chairman, Science and Technology Division, 1965-66.

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+[[File:CharlesHStevens.jpg|alt=Charles H. Stevens|thumb|<nowiki>Charles H. Stevens | Credit </nowiki>[https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/18669/21310 Association of College & Research Libraries]]]
+'''Charles H. Stevens''' (b. 1924) was an American librarian.
 == Life ==
--?
+'''Charles H. 'Chuck' Stevens''' was born December 10, 1924 in Chicago. He served as First Lieutenant in US Army Ordnance Corps in the Pacific Theater of Operations, 1943-1946. He studied English 1942-1943 & 1946-1949 at Principia College, in Elsah, IL (AB, 1949) and then engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (later renamed the New York University Tandon School of Engineering). He received a BS (1952) and an MA (1955) in Library Science at the University of North Carolina.
-== Relevant Employment ==
+His interests included: computer techniques, administration, space and building planning, and information transfer. He believed information was a natural resource and was committed to information resource sharing via a national network.
-* Purdue
+Stevens worked at the University of North Carolina library, 1951-52, was Librarian, US Air-Ground Operations School in North Carolina, 1952-54, then Librarian, Aeronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 1954-56, then Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering 1957-59.
-* MIT
-== Contributions ==
+In 1959 he moved to MIT, where he was Director of library service, Lincoln Labs, MIT 1959-65; Director of library and publications, MIT, 1962-65; then Associate director for Library Development of Project Intrex and director of the Model Library Project, 1965-72.
-Stevens was involved with INTREX Pathfinders. His interests included: computer techniques, administration, space and building planning, and information transfer. He believed information was a natural resource and was committed to information resource sharing via a national network.
-He worked at: UNC library 1951-52; Librarian, US Air-Ground Operations School in NC 1952-54; Librarian, Aeronautical Engineering, Purdue 1954-56; Asst. professor., School of Mechanical Engineering 1957-59; Director of library service, Lincoln Labs, MIT 1959-65; Director of library and publications, MIT, 1962-65; Associate Director of Intrex project 1965-72; Documentation consultant 1957-59; Executive director, SOLINET 1974. He began the series of Pathfinders.
+Stevens was Executive Director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, In 1972-1974, then of the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), Atlanta.
-== Awards ==
+== Publications ==
+*"Library pathfinders: A new possibility for cooperative reference service." With M. P. Canfield & J. J. Gardner. ''College & Research Libraries'' 34, no. 1 (Jan.1973): 40-46. [https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/12490/13936]
+*"Governance of Library Networks." ''Library Trends'' 26, no, 2 (Fall 1977): 219-240.
+== Contributions ==
+Stevens was involved with INTREX Pathfinders, self-guided leaflets for library searching, which once developed, could be adapted for other libraries. Each was concerned with a specific topic and were based on the assumption that readers' questions are of four types: directional; ready reference; search; and library instruction (use). "The Library Pathfinder is a kind of map to the resources of the library; it is an information locator for the library user whose search for recorded materials on a subject of interest is just beginning. A compact guide to the basic sources of information specific to the user's immediate needs, it is a step-by-step instructional tool that will, if followed, place before the user those items that the most skilled reference librarian would suggest as basic to an initial investigation to the topic." (Stevens & others 1973, p. 42).
 == Offices ==
+* Special Libraries Association. Chairman, Science and Technology Division, 1965-66.
-* SLA Chairman Science and Technology Division, 1965-66
+== Further reading ==
-* NCLIS (first) Executive Director, 1972-74
+*''A biographical directory of librarians in the United States and Canada''. 5th ed. Lee Ash, ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1970, p 1051.
-== Papers ==
-No information