William S. Dix
Encyclopedia
William Shepherd Dix was a scholar/librarian who had a prestigious 22-year career as Librarian at Princeton University
in New Jersey without obtaining a degree in library science. His contributions to the field of librarianship, however, are varied and notable, making him worthy of recognition in the American Libraries'
100 most important figures.
in 1931 and his M.A. in English from that same university a year later. He began his career at the Darlington School for Boys in Georgia, where he taught English for seven years. He taught at several other schools, eventually landing at Harvard University
, where he taught for a year while finishing his doctorate in American literature at the University of Chicago
.
In 1947, Dix became an English instructor at the Rice Institute (which is now Rice University
) in Houston, Texas. A year later, he accepted the additional responsibilities of directing the school's library. By the time he left Rice in 1953 to head the library at Princeton University, Dix was an associate professor of English and librarian. Some of Dix’s most notable contributions to the field of librarianship were during his 22 years at Princeton, culminating in his service as president of the ALA from 1967-1970.
years when Senator Joseph McCarthy
was exploiting the fear of communism
and calling for censorship of communist propaganda from American libraries and from libraries across the world.
(ALA) whose purpose was, and continues to be, to protect the rights of people who use libraries. While he was chairman, there was a debate among professionals in the field of librarianship about whether to censor materials that were deemed to promote communism, or that were anything but anti-communism
. A sizeable number or people, led by Ralph Ulveling
, felt that materials that were anything but anti-communism should be labeled, so that people were aware of their contents. Others felt that the labeling of materials was, in a way, censoring them. The IFC, with Dix as chairman, agreed with the latter group and decided that library users should have a choice as to what they read. Library collections should offer a variety of perspectives (whether they are pro or anti-communism) and allow patrons to decide what they thought about it.
) on June 25, 1953, and unequivocally states that “the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.” This statement was subsequently endorsed by 21 other organizations, including the Freedom to Read Foundation and the National Coalition Against Censorship
.
in 1955. In the following years, Dix became one of the better traveled librarians from the United States. He also chaired the ALA’s International Relations Committee from 1955-1960.
). From these requests came the resolution establishing the Activities Committee on New Directions for the ALA (ACONDA), which was passed on June 25, 1969, with the support of Dix. This committee, whose members consist of ALA leadership and general members, studies issues and recommends changes for the direction of the new ALA. The final report of ACONDA, finished in 1970, resulted in a chaotic debate. Ultimately, ACONDA resulted in relatively minor changes within the ALA structure, and by 1972 it was back to business as usual. But this was a time in which the ALA was challenged; it was somewhat tumultuous and chaotic, and Dix presided over it all.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in New Jersey without obtaining a degree in library science. His contributions to the field of librarianship, however, are varied and notable, making him worthy of recognition in the American Libraries'
American Libraries
American Libraries is the official news and features magazine of the American Library Association. Published six times per year, along with four additional digital-only supplements, it is distributed to all members of the organization...
100 most important figures.
Education and early career
Dix received his bachelor's degree from the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1931 and his M.A. in English from that same university a year later. He began his career at the Darlington School for Boys in Georgia, where he taught English for seven years. He taught at several other schools, eventually landing at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he taught for a year while finishing his doctorate in American literature at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
In 1947, Dix became an English instructor at the Rice Institute (which is now Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
) in Houston, Texas. A year later, he accepted the additional responsibilities of directing the school's library. By the time he left Rice in 1953 to head the library at Princeton University, Dix was an associate professor of English and librarian. Some of Dix’s most notable contributions to the field of librarianship were during his 22 years at Princeton, culminating in his service as president of the ALA from 1967-1970.
McCarthy era
Dix was a staunch advocate for intellectual freedom and stoutly opposed censorship. These beliefs were especially pertinent during the early Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
years when Senator Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
was exploiting the fear of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and calling for censorship of communist propaganda from American libraries and from libraries across the world.
IFC
From 1951 to 1953, Dix was chairman of the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC), a committee within the American Library AssociationAmerican Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
(ALA) whose purpose was, and continues to be, to protect the rights of people who use libraries. While he was chairman, there was a debate among professionals in the field of librarianship about whether to censor materials that were deemed to promote communism, or that were anything but anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
. A sizeable number or people, led by Ralph Ulveling
Ralph Ulveling
Ralph Adrian Ulveling was an influential American librarian best known for his support of intellectual freedom, interracial understanding, and the advancement of the library and information science profession...
, felt that materials that were anything but anti-communism should be labeled, so that people were aware of their contents. Others felt that the labeling of materials was, in a way, censoring them. The IFC, with Dix as chairman, agreed with the latter group and decided that library users should have a choice as to what they read. Library collections should offer a variety of perspectives (whether they are pro or anti-communism) and allow patrons to decide what they thought about it.
The Freedom to Read
Shortly after this decision, to assuage the fears librarians across the country still felt, Dix and IFC Executive Secretary Paul Bixler began planning a conference to formulate a statement that later became known as The Freedom to Read. This statement, of which Dix was the principal author, was adopted by the ALA and the American Book Publishers Council (now known as the Association of American PublishersAssociation of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP has more than 300 members, including most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly...
) on June 25, 1953, and unequivocally states that “the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.” This statement was subsequently endorsed by 21 other organizations, including the Freedom to Read Foundation and the National Coalition Against Censorship
National Coalition Against Censorship
The National Coalition Against Censorship , founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 national non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups...
.
International work
As a direct result of his work with the IFC, Dix’s next career move was as a member of the United States Commission to UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1955. In the following years, Dix became one of the better traveled librarians from the United States. He also chaired the ALA’s International Relations Committee from 1955-1960.
Centralized Cataloging
Dix's commitment to the Association of Research Libraries included terms as executive secretary (1957–1959) and president (1962–1963). Dix was chairman of the Association of Research Libraries' Shared Cataloging Committee. He was instrumental in shaping the Library of Congress' international program of centralized cataloguing and testified before congressional committees in 1965 and 1967 on the need for centralized cataloguing as opposed to the then-current system in which each library catalogued new books using its own sometimes idiosyncratic system.President of the ALA
During Dix’s time as president of the ALA, there was a lot of controversy on the direction that the ALA should take. According to Raber, people wanted more member participation and they wanted the ALA to take stands on social issues (particularly against the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
). From these requests came the resolution establishing the Activities Committee on New Directions for the ALA (ACONDA), which was passed on June 25, 1969, with the support of Dix. This committee, whose members consist of ALA leadership and general members, studies issues and recommends changes for the direction of the new ALA. The final report of ACONDA, finished in 1970, resulted in a chaotic debate. Ultimately, ACONDA resulted in relatively minor changes within the ALA structure, and by 1972 it was back to business as usual. But this was a time in which the ALA was challenged; it was somewhat tumultuous and chaotic, and Dix presided over it all.