Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.
Kenneth Spencer Research Library has many faces working behind the scenes to maintain its collections and provide patrons with access to these materials. William Lawrence “Bill” Mitchell was one of these many faces, working with the Department of Special Collections. He served in various capacities at KU Libraries from 1967 to 1999. Both William and his wife Virginia Jean Mitchell died in March of this year.
Bill Mitchell in 1998, a year before his departure from KU Libraries. University Archives. Call Number: RG 41/ Faculty: Mitchell, William L. (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
William Mitchell was born on June 2, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of William M. and Donna L. Mitchell. Before he joined the University of Kansas, Mitchell served in the United States Coast Guard from 1952 to 1956. He received his bachelor’s degree from KU in 1959 and then received his master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois in 1960.
Mitchell’s work in libraries started before his master’s degree. Joining KU Libraries in 1957 as a student assistant for special collections, Mitchell worked his way through various library positions. He became a cataloger with KU in 1971 and eventually became chief cataloger. Mitchell’s work was well received; he earned membership in Beta Phi Mu, an honor society that recognizes high achievement in library science and librarianship. He was promoted to the rank of Librarian III in 1967, a marker of his distinguished career as a librarian.
Special Collections weren’t Mitchell’s only interest. He often encouraged work with bibliography and advocated for the conservation of unstable library materials. He led several courses on conservation for KU’s Museum Studies program and, on occasion, spoke with history of the book classes. His interests in conservation covered a wide variety of materials, from the proper preservation of textual materials and bindery techniques to film preservation. He often kept interesting paper ephemera he came across – usually from other bookstores or vintage postcards – to preserve the history of his travels and work. Many of these postcards and syllabi can be found in his personal papers collection.
Several of Mitchell’s collected postcards. Personal Papers of William (Bill) Mitchell. Call Number: PP 649, Box 1, Folder 1. Click image to enlarge.
Mitchell’s love of preservation extended beyond KU and into surrounding communities. He consulted with several other libraries in the state, including at Kansas State University, Baker University, Saint Mary College, and the Wichita Public Library. He worked with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library to save a letter from General Dwight Eisenhower that was sent to a family member. Mitchell presented at several library conferences and attended various conservation group meetings to bring further awareness on the necessity of conservation efforts.
Bill Mitchell’s letter to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library discussing a letter that Eisenhower sent to Mitchell’s grandmother, Minnie Brazil (or Brazi). Personal Papers of William (Bill) Mitchell. Call Number: PP 649, Box 2, Folder 31. Click image to enlarge.
A 1944 letter from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Minnie Brazi (or Brazil), Bill Mitchell’s grandmother. D-Day was June 6, three weeks before Eisenhower wrote this document. Personal Papers of William (Bill) Mitchell. Call Number: PP 649, Box 2, Folder 31. Click image to enlarge.
Lawrence, Kansas, also had a special place in Mitchell’s life. He was a vocal historical building advocate, writing many letters to the Lawrence Journal-World with his concerns for historic Lawrence buildings regarding new proposed commercial developments. He wrote to the Lawrence Preservation Alliance and worked alongside the organization to protect a historic livery stable that was threatened by commercial development. But he was perhaps the most interested in preserving the history of West Hills, a neighborhood northwest of the University of Kansas campus. Many of his writings surround this neighborhood, from notes on traffic to rezoning laws allowing commercial enterprises to develop in the West Hills neighborhood.
William Mitchell retired from Spencer Research Library in 1999, though the Mitchells remained in Lawrence after retirement. Both Bill and Jean Mitchell supported Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art; William’s papers were donated to the library in 2013, and Jean’s quilts and textiles are housed at the museum. Mitchells’ legacy continues on with The Bibliographical Society of America’s William L. Mitchell Award, given to researchers whose research focuses on eighteenth century English or English colonial periodicals.
This is the fourteenth installment in a recurring series of posts introducing readers to the staff of Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Today’s profile features Jacinta Johnson, who joined us in January 2019. Jacinta is the Associate Paper Conservator, Mellon Initiative, and splits her time between the Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. Welcome, Jacinta!
I grew up in
the Puget Sound area of Washington State, but have lived in many other cities
throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, and the East Coast.
What does your job at Spencer entail?
I joined KU
Libraries’ Conservation Services Department in late January as the Associate Conservator
for a three-year initiative, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, aimed
at bridging the conservation efforts of the Kenneth Spencer Research Library
and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. I specialize in paper
conservation and split my time between the library and the museum, working with
staff at each site to prioritize conservation projects with common goals.
What is one of the most interesting items you’ve come across in Spencer’s collections?
The
collection of prints and drawings by Mary Huntoon (1896-1970). Huntoon was born
in Topeka, KS and grew up knowing she wanted to be an artist. She studied at
The Art Students’ League in New York and lived in Paris for five years. She
returned to Kansas in 1930 and later became the state’s first art therapist.
Her work, which is mostly portraiture and landscapes, depicts important people
in her life and all the different places she lived and the places where she
travelled. The collection contains several preparatory drawings for prints and
artist’s proofs that illustrate her careful working process.
What part of your job do you like best?
The opportunity to interact closely with
collections. I enjoy finding clues about the artistic process, techniques, and
materials.
What are some of your favorite pastimes outside of work?
I enjoy exploring
cities by bike, fumbling through knitting projects, and trying out new recipes.
What piece of advice would you offer a researcher walking into Spencer Research Library for the first time?
Be sure to utilize all the great help and guidance the staff can offer, and don’t forget to visit the current exhibition!
Jacinta Johnson Associate Paper Conservator, Mellon Initiative
2018 was an eventful year at Kenneth Spencer Research Library. In addition to the celebration of the building’s 50th anniversary, the Conservation Services department relocated from Watson Library into a newly constructed lab space on the second floor of Spencer. The dedicated space built for Conservation Services allowed the Audiovisual (AV) branch of the team to expand its operations within Spencer by moving into spaces formerly used by Conservation. By expanding the AV footprint within the building, we would be able to add equipment to create a film inspection/video digitization lab separate from the current audio digitization lab (which previously doubled as the film and video lab). Over the course of approximately three months, beginning in September 2018, several meetings took place between Conservation Services staff, the KU architect and KU Facilities to determine how the rooms needed to be adapted for their new uses, as well as what equipment belonged where.
The Audio Preservation Lab in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, prior to renovation. Click image to enlarge.
Another view of the Audio Preservation Lab in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, prior to renovation. Click image to enlarge.
In the audio digitization lab in particular, several changes occurred that completely changed the look of the work space. The room was painted in the building’s original “Spencer Green” hue, and carpeted with its original 1970’s carpet. Ultimately, we all decided that the carpet and paint job had to go, and that new lighting was necessary. Furthermore, we had to decide where the best locations for power outlets would be, and the land-line telephone connections had to be de-commissioned.
In order to replace the carpet and re-paint the room, every single shelf, table and piece of electronic equipment in the room had to be temporarily disassembled and moved to a storage location. My team of student workers and I devised a strategy of labeling all of the cords and ports on our pieces of equipment so that disassembly and re-assembly would go quickly. Once everything was removed from the Audio Lab, Facilities came in and ripped out the carpet. At this time, the electricians started replacing all of the lighting fixtures in both the Audio and Video Labs. They also installed dimmer switches, allowing us to control the levels of light we need depending on the day’s workflow.
The Film and Video Preservation Lab in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, prior to renovation. Click image to enlarge.
Alternate view of the Film and Video Preservation Lab in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, prior to renovation. Click image to enlarge.
In the Video Lab, the renovations to the light fixtures included breaking out the light switches to allow for independent control of lights in the front of the room as well as the back. Additionally, several new electrical outlets were installed in the ceiling and along the north wall of the room. Shelving was removed to allow us to bring in a Steenbeck flatbed motion picture film editing machine. My team and I then set up two film inspection stations and have begun to acquire video digitization and playback equipment.
For the Audio Lab, we chose new paint colors, including for an accent wall, which I think is a really nice bit of the renovation. We also installed new tile flooring, which is ideal for an audiovisual lab such as ours. The tile can be kept much cleaner than carpet, reducing the amount of particulate matter in the lab environment which could be harmful to sensitive media collections. Finally, once the shelving was re-attached to the walls, we were able to quickly re-populate the lab thanks to our labeling strategy.
The renovated Audio Preservation Lab, complete with new tile floor, accent wall, and enhanced lighting. Click image to enlarge.
The renovation of the Film and Video Preservation Lab is nearing completion. New features include enhanced lighting and additional electric outlets. Click image to enlarge.
At this time, the Audio Lab is completely set up and our digitization efforts have re-commenced, and our film inspection stations, including the Steenbeck, are fully operational. The video component of the Film/Video Lab is still under construction; most of the necessary video elements have been purchased and are being built out. I am grateful for the support from KU and the Libraries for this project, which has allowed us to create updated lab spaces to the specifications I requested, and to purchase the equipment my team needs to perform archival quality work on Spencer Library’s audiovisual collections. The enthusiasm of my student workers should also be noted as I truly would not have been able to envision the working conditions within the new work spaces without them. The renovated lab spaces heavily influence and are heavily influenced by the work that the students do on a day-to-day basis and I cannot stress enough how important they are to the digitization and organization efforts we undertake in the department.
Chris Bañuelos Audiovisual Preservation Specialist Conservation Services
Who was Kenneth Spencer, the namesake of Spencer Research Library? Why is the library named after him? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions and wondered about the library’s origins, be sure to visit and explore its current exhibit, Meet the Spencers: A Marriage of Arts and Sciences.
Kenneth and Helen Spencer with their dog Topper in the garden of their home at
2900 Verona Road in Mission Hills, Kansas, spring 1959.
Helen Foresman Spencer Papers. Call Number: RH MS-P 542. Click image to enlarge.
The exhibit provides a personal look at the lives of Kenneth Spencer and his wife Helen, including:
their childhoods growing up in southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri
their relationship and marriage
their hobbies and interests
Kenneth’s work as an engineer and accomplishments as a business leader in Kansas City
the creation of Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
Additionally, the exhibit examines the Spencers’ significant philanthropic work, particularly Helen’s dynamic leadership of the Kenneth A. and Helen F. Spencer Foundation after her husband’s death in 1960. The foundation provided funds for major construction projects at many institutions throughout the Kansas City area, including KU’s Lawrence campus. For example, gifts from the Foundation and from Helen personally ensured the construction of Spencer Research Library as well as the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
Installing wall labels can be a messy business. Shown here is a
timeline of the early history of Spencer Research Library
in the context of KU’s history in the 1960s, part of the new Meet the Spencers exhibit. Click image to enlarge.
The installation of items for the Meet the Spencers exhibit.
Library staff try not to open the heavy glass case covers too frequently.
In 1968, Helen Spencer selected and purchased the five large German-made
display cases now located in the Exhibit Space. Click image to enlarge.
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives andmade them available online; be sure to check them out!
Good luck on finals next week, Jayhawks! Spencer’s Reading Room and lounge are great options for quiet places to study.
The Special Collections Reading Room at Spencer Research Library, 1968.
University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 32/37 1968: University of Kansas
Libraries: Special Collections (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
Spencer Research Library opened to researchers on December 2, 1968 – a couple of weeks after the dedication ceremony (November 8th) and public opening (November 15th). At the time, the Kansas Collection, Special Collections, and University Archives had separate Reading Rooms on the second, third, and fourth floors, respectively. Today, Spencer has one Reading Room for all researchers, and the above photo was taken from roughly where the reference desk is now located.
