Guide to the Papers of Harrison Bryan
MS 9867, MS Acc06.185, MS Acc08.069
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Harrison Bryan
- Title
- Papers of Harrison Bryan
- Date Range
- c.1947-2008
- Collection Number
- MS 9867, MS Acc06.185, MS Acc08.069
- Extent
- 6.12 metres (28 boxes + 1 carton + 3 folio boxes + 1 packet)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2272324).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Harrison Bryan, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were donated by Harrison Bryan to the Library on 6 December 1996, with a further donation made on 8 July 2002.
Related Materials
In the Oral History Section, an interview with Harrison Bryan recorded by Malcolm Bodley on 29 July 1985 is available. Call no. ORAL TRC 1814. A biographical clippings file on Harrison Bryan is also held by the National Library. Portraits by Max Dupain of Harrison Bryan are available at: Call no. PIC P2238/1-4 LOC Q33
Arrangement
The collection has been left in the original order created by Bryan.
Collection Retrieval Advice
Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.
Biographical Note
Harrison Bryan was born on 23 September 1923, the son of Walter Heywood Bryan and Margaret Myee Harrison. He was educated at the Brisbane Grammar School and gained a BA in history at the University of Queensland. He received his Certificate of Training from the Library School, Public Library of N.S.W. in 1948. Bryan was awarded an MA in 1954 from the Queensland University for a thesis on the Queensland politician John Murtagh Macrossan. Bryan also gained a Diploma from the Library Association of Australia and two honorary Doctorates.
Bryan began his career as an assistant librarian at the University of Queensland Library in 1949, and in 1950 became James Forsyth University Librarian. His father was for many years Professor of Geology at the same university.
In 1963, Bryan became Sydney University Librarian. His long career as a library administrator culminated in his appointment as Director-General of the National Library of Australia, 1980-1985.
Bryan was a prolific writer and published numerous articles and books on libraries and librarianship. He was also very active in the wider library community serving on the board of many councils and committees. He was Chairman of the Library Association of Australia's Board of Examiners for ten years and President of the Association for 1973 and 1974.
Bryan's key publications are A critical survey of university libraries and librarianship in Great Britain, 1966; Design for diversity : library services for higher education and research in Australia, edited by Harrison Bryan and Gordon Greenwood, 1977; ALIAS : Australia's library, information and archives services : an encyclopaedia of practice and practitioners, 3 vols, 1988-1991; No gray profession : reminiscences of a career in Australian libraries, 1994.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 9867. Original Consignment
Correspondence, drafts, articles and administrative papers. The correspondence is primarily made up of administrative material, much of which stems from Bryan's involvement in various organisations, boards and committees. The papers mostly date from 1960-1980 and, apart from his autobiographical works, there is very little material relating to his time at the National Library of Australia. The personal correspondence is concerned only with Bryan's other library activities, his authorship of books and articles, speeches, travel and consultancies. There are drafts of Bryan's autobiographies and his unpublished history of the University of Queensland.
Comprises 27 boxes + 1 carton.
Series 1. Articles and speeches, 1961-1993
The series contains the typescript originals and/or photocopies of the large number of articles, speeches and book chapters produced by Bryan between 1961 and 1993. The numbering system within the series is Bryans own. The files are imperfect and start with no. 32 and finish with no. 410. Between these numbers there are some further gaps. The files are generally in date order. Contained within some of the files are correspondence relating to the work.
Series 2. Australian Advisory Council on Bibliographical Services (AACOBS), 1960 -1979
Bryan was involved with AACOBS at different levels from 1960 until his retirement. AACOBS was a peak library organisation concerned with promoting library cooperation and to represent the Australian library community within the political sphere. In 1988, AACOBS was subsumed into the Australian Council on Library and Information Services (ACLIS).
The series comprises Bryan's AACOBS files 1960-75 and 1977, and files covering his time as Chairman of the AACOBS Standing Committee 1973-79. The files contain correspondence, drafts, minutes and agendas. Major correspondents include: D. H. Borchardt, Andrew Osborn, Jean Whyte, F. A.(Ali) Sharr, Allan Fleming, Judy McQueen, Sir Peter Crisp, Alan Walker, Allan Horton, W. D. Thorn, G. D. Richardson, W. D Richardson, George Chandler, Robert Sharman and Harold White.
Correspondence and drafts relating to the publication: Libraries for the public : a statement of deficiencies in public library services and a plan for Commonwealth financial support, 1966 (File 4) - Box 6
AACOBS Commonwealth Government submission, 1973 (File 10) - Box 7
Correspondents include Allan Fleming and Kim E. Beazley, Minister for Education.
Series 3. Library Association of Australia, 1963-1979
Bryan joined the Association in 1948, he served for over 25 years on its General Council, chaired a number of committees. In 1973 and 1974 he was President of the Association, he later became a Fellow of the Association and in 1984 was awarded the Association's highest honour, the HCL Anderson award, in recognition of his outstanding service to the library and information profession.
The series comprises correspondence, reports, minutes, agendas and submissions.
The collection includes coverage of Bryan's time as President of the Library Association of Australia, 1973-1974
Library Association of Australia. Executive Committee, 1965 (File 2) - Box 10
Correspondence and minutes
Libraries: a survey, 1967-1972 (File 3) - Box 11
Contains correspondence and copies of the report by Sol Encel
Correspondence and papers on accreditation of schools, 1969 (File 4) - Box 11
South Australian Institute of Technology and Canberra College of Advanced Education. Includes correspondence between Bryan, Ali Sharr, John Balnaves and Allan Horton concerning a letter published in the Canberra Times, 17 Nov. 1969 by Allan Horton, which prompted Bryan to offer his resignation as chairman of the Board of Examiners
Continuing Education Committee, 1970-1973 (File 5) - Box 11
Correspondence relating to Bryan's membership of the Continuing Education Committee of the Library Association of Australia
Committee on the Role of the Association, 1972-1973 (File 6) - Box 11
Includes correspondence, a study and speech given by Bryan, drafts, articles and a number of papers from the 1971 IFLA Council, Liverpool
Correspondence, 1972-1973 (File 7) - Box 11
Correspondence from R. C. Sharman relating to Bryan's accession to President of the Association. Includes submission by the Association to the Scientific and Technological Information Services Enquiry Committee, 1971
President's correspondence, 1973 (File 10) - Box 12
Correspondence with numerous individuals and organisations undertaken as part of Bryan's position as President. Includes draft copy of Standards and Objectives for School Libraries, 1973
President's correspondence, 1974 (File 11) - Box 12
Correspondence with numerous individuals and organisations undertaken as part of Bryan's position as President. Includes correspondence concerning the editorship of the Australian Library Journal
General Correspondence, 1975 (File 13) - Box 12
Includes a paper by Esther Leslie on Para-professional library staff
Committee on the Role of the Association, 1973-1976 (File 14) - Box 12
Agenda, minutes and preliminary draft of Statement of policies A and B, 1976
Standing Committee, 1976 (File 16) - Box 13
Correspondence and a report of Bryan's attendance at the IFLA General Committee Meeting, Oslo, 1975
Committee of Enquiry into Edcation and Training (Williams Committee), 1976-1977 (File 17) - Box 13
Corespondence, reports, submissions and drafts
General Correspondence, 1977 (File 18) - Box 13
Includes correspondence concerning attendance at conferences and papers
Series 4. Library Association of Australia. Board of Examiners, 1964-1974
The Library Association of Australia's Board of Examiners existed to make recommendations to the Association's General Council on all matters affecting examination and qualification in librarianship. The Board also administered the Association's Registration Examination, set standards for schools of librarianship and provided accreditation to those schools meeting the standards. Bryan served as Chairman of the Board of Examiners 1964-1974. The series comprises the administrative material gathered by Bryan as a member of the Board.
Series 5. Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Advanced Education Library Sub-committee, 1967-1972
In 1968, Bryan was appointed to the Library Sub-committee by John Gorton, Minister for Education as a representative of the university library sector. The Sub-committee's role was to advise the Committee on the development of libraries and the training of librarians. The series comprises the administrative material gathered by Bryan as a member of the Committee.
Series 6. Australian Commission on Advanced Education. Library Committee, 1972-1974
From 10 February 1972, the Australian Commission on Advanced Education took over the work of the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Advanced Education. Bryan was re-appointed by the Minister of Education Malcolm Fraser to the new Library Committee. The series comprises the administrative material gathered by Bryan as a member of the Committee including copies of reports and documents tabled at meetings.
Series 7. Committee on Overseas Professional Qualifications. Expert Panel in Librarianship, 1970-1978
The expert panel was formed in 1970 to improve procedures used in the assessment of overseas librarianship qualifications. Bryan was elected Chairman of the Panel on its first meeting and served as such until its disbandment in 1978. The series comprises agenda, minutes, reports and correspondence.
Series 8. Design for diversity, 1971-1977
Comprises correspondence, drafts and financial papers for the publication of this collection of essays, edited by Bryan and Gordon Greenwood, on libraries for research and higher education institutions. The correspondence is primarily between, Bryan, Greenwood, contributors and the publishers, the University of Queensland Press.
Series 9. Consultancy work, 1972-1976
Comprises administrative correspondence relating to Bryan's consultancy advice on libraries and library buildings
Indonesia, 1972 (File 1) - Box 25
Bryan was employed by the Ford Foundation to serve as a consultant to the Indonesian Council of Sciences, Jan/Feb. 1972. Bryan toured Indonesia and wrote his Report on the development of national documentation/information services in Indonesia, (of which a draft photocopy is within the papers). The papers mainly consist of administrative correspondence.
University of Adelaide, 1973 (File 2) - Box 25
Comprises 3 administrative letters and a report by Owen Slight, Deputy Librarian dated 1972
Series 10. Personal papers, 1965-1978
This series of files marked 'personal' by Bryan, mainly contains letters relating to his professional activities.
Visit to the United States of America, 1965 Bryan made a tour of 20 major libraries between October and December 1965. The papers comprise the administrative correspondence for that trip. (File 1) - Box 25
The function of the library in a college of advanced education, by Harrison Bryan and Evelyn Lorna Hean (Bryan-Hean Report), 1970 (File 4) - Box 26
Correspondence relating to the supply and distribution of the completed work, 1970-1971.
Correspondence and papers, 1972-1975 (File 5) - Box 26
Comprises administrative and personal correspondence. Includes correspondence relating to Bryan's unsuccessful application for the position of National Librarian as well as submissions and memoranda concerning the Copyright Law Committee on Reprographic Reproduction.
Study leave, 1975 (File 6) - Box 26
Itinerary and correspondence relating to Bryan's study tour and stay in Britain, May-Nov. 1975, includes unrelated letters sent and received during this time.
Correspondence, 1976 (File 7) - Box 26
Personal correspondence. Subjects include a testimonial dinner for F. R (Ali) Sharr and drafts for an entry on Australian libraries for the Australian Encyclopaedia.
Series 11. ALIAS : Australia's library, information and archives services : an encyclopaedia of practice and practitioners, 1986-1989
Bryan was the editor of this three volume encyclopaedia which was published between 1988 and 1991. Contained within this series is the correspondence between Bryan and the many contributors.
Series 12. Historical and autobiographical writings, 1960-2002
Comprises drafts of works.
Manuscript of The University of Queensland : 1910 - 1960 : an essay towards a history, vol. 1, [1960] (File 1) - Box 28
In 1958, Bryan was asked by the University to write a history for its Jubilee celbrations. However, on completion it was not accepted for publication. The work is in two volume with amendments.