Drexel's Graduate School of Library Science (later the College of Information Science and Technology) was founded as the Library and Reading Room during the Drexel Institute's first year of operation in 1892. It was closed by President Hollis Godfrey in 1914 and reopened as the School of Library Science in 1922. This collection consists of two alphabetical sets of index cards containing information about graduates of the library school from the 1890s to the early 1970s. Each card contains an alumnus's address, initial job placement, and subsequent jobs held. The cards are arranged in two alphabetical sets: one from 1895 to 1914, and the other from 1924 to 1973.
This collection is largely composed of information relating to the LibQUAL+ program. Material relating to this topic includes conference booklets, survey results, brown bag presentation notes, and program comments. There is also some content specific to the Drexel University libraries, including student satisfaction surveys, closing hour exit studies for the years 1985-1988, and the 2006 and 2008 library budgets. A mini-cd, a few flyers, brochures, and informational booklets are included; most of these materials deal with the IRT department. Some Drexel-related ephemera are also included with the collection.
In 1970, the Office of Community Affairs took on responsibility for government affairs efforts and became the Office of Government and Community Affairs. Government affairs staff lobbied in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg, Pa., with the goal of increasing government funding for research, securing state aid, and generally raising the profile of the university locally, nationally, and internationally. In 1985, government affairs functions were moved to the Office of University Relations. This collection consists of subject files compiled by government relations staff from 1981 to 1996. It contains files on particular legislators documenting lobbying activities, on individual bills and laws, and on state and federal aid, as well as reports on and proposals for public funding for higher education.
Drexel's ninth president, William Samuel Gaither (b. 1932), received a Ph.D. in civil engineering and in 1970 became dean of the College of Marine Studies at the University of Delaware. He served as president of Drexel for three years before resigning in October of 1987, after being accused of sexual harassment in April and receiving a vote of no confidence from the faculty in June. The Gaither papers chiefly consist of a set of subject files on organizations, university offices and departments, special projects, and administrative topics. The collection also contains a record of Dr. Gaither's outgoing correspondence from June 1984 to December 1986 and a box of certificates presented to him at his inauguration.
