ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


College & Research 
No. 5, May 1972Libraries news

ACRL News Issue (A) of College & Research Libraries, Vol. 33, No. 3

J. Donald Thomas Resigns
J. Donald Thomas has resigned as Executive 

Secretary of ACRL effective May 31, and has 
accepted a position as head of the undergrad­

uate library on the College Park campus of the 
University of Maryland.

Mr. Thomas replaced George M. Bailey in 
October 1968 and has served ACRL as Execu­
tive Secretary through a period of great stress. 
Academic status, federation, minority rights, 
and restrictive budgets were only a few of the

problems that crossed his desk during his three 
and one-half years as Executive Secretary. The 
problems and decisions have been handled with 
skill and dispatch. His resignation will represent 
a great loss to ACRL.

As head of the Undergraduate Library of the 
University of Maryland he will be responsible 
for the new $7 million facility which is ex­
pected to open in late August. The building will 
house 200,000 volumes and seat 4,000 students 
as well as housing the School of Library and 
Information Science.

A graduate of Tulane University, Mr. Thomas 
received his library degree from Columbia Uni­
versity in 1951. He has worked in the libraries 
of Columbia University, the French Embassy 
in New York City, Hunter College, Standard 
Oil Company, the Montreal Star newspaper, 
and the University of Chicago.

When he came to the University of Chicago 
library in 1960 as administrative assistant to 
the director, he was assigned a wide variety of 
problems in the public service fields, technical 
processing, physical plant maintenance, altera­
tion, and planning. In 1962 he became the first 
head of the general services division of the 
library when the post was newly established. 
Thomas’ earlier experience includes four years 
with the Army Air Force and free-lance writ­
ing.

A search is now under way for a successor to 
Mr. Thomas.

College & Research Libraries is published by t he Association of. College and Research Libraries, a division of 
the American Library Association, 17 times yearly—6 bimonthly journal issues and II monthly, combining July- 
August, News issues at 1201-05 Bluff St., Fulton, Mo. 65251. Subscription, $10.00 a year or, to members of the 
division, $5.00, included in dues. C irculation and advertising office: American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., 
Chicago, III. 60611. Second-class postage paid at Fulton, Missouri 65251.

News ed itor: Michael Herbison, Library, University of Colorado, C olorado Springs Center, Colorado Springs, 
C olorado 80907. Editor: Richard M. Dougherty, School of Library Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. 
13210. President, ACRL: Joseph H. Reason. Executive Secretary, ACRL: J. Donald Thomas, ALA.