Fabulous 50: Library Milestones

The year 1970 was one of firsts for the NC State University Libraries.  That summer William V. Frazier became a reference librarian, making him the first African American to be a professional librarian on campus.  His credentials included a B.S. degree from Tennessee A & I State University and M.A. and M.S.L.S. degrees from Atlanta University.  He left NC State in Dec. 1971 for the Wake County Public Library.  (In the history of the D.H. Hill Jr. Library, Frazier's name is spelled incorrectly as "Frazer.")

A few months later in Sept., William C. Horner became the first systems librarian (what was called "systems" in the 1970s is considered today as Information Technology, or IT.).  Horner had previously worked at Tufts University, and his credentials included B.B.A. and M.S.L.S. degrees, both from the University of Pittsburgh.  He retired from NC State in the mid-1980s.

Both men worked in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library, and in 1970 they would have seen the construction of the building's original bookstack tower (see photo above).  Today, a portion of that original construction has been transformed in the library's recent renovation.

Research questions and/or requests for Special Collections materials can be sent in using our online request form. Due to the NC State University Coronavirus Response, the NC State University Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only for the fall semester.

Please note that according to library policies, on-site library access is limited to NC State students, faculty, staff, and university affiliates with a Wolfpack One Card, including Centennial Campus partners. For requests from these communities, we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible and will email you when your requested materials are ready so that we can confirm your appointment time. For all other requests, we will respond to your request as soon as possible.