Page Ackerman
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Page Ackerman (June 30, 1912 – February 28, 2006) was an American librarian that received recognition for her work. She worked at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
, for a few decades, and then she became a professor in UCLA's Graduate School of Library and Information Science.


Personal life and death

Ackerman was born on June 30, 1912, in
Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
, and moved to
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, with her parents. In 1929, Ackerman attended the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
at its then-recently built Westwood campus. She attended
Agnes Scott College Agnes Scott College is a Private university, private Women's Colleges in the Southern United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia. The college enrolls approximately 1,000 undergra ...
in Georgia as a junior by transferring using a physical education scholarship, and she graduated from there in 1933 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Ackerman then attended the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
(UNC), from which she graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in library science. Ackerman died on February 28, 2006, from congestive heart failure in
Duarte, California Duarte () is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 21,727. It is bounded to the north by the San Gabriel Mountains, to the north and west by the cities ...
.


Career

After completing her education, Ackerman began working at the
Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geor ...
in Decatur and she left the position in 1943. During the same year, Ackerman was the post librarian at the U.S. Army
Aberdeen Proving Ground Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...
in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. Due to her working there, she became friends with astronomer
Edwin Hubble Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer. He played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology. Hubble proved that many objects previously ...
and his wife, Grace. Ackerman received regimental review and a citation for Meritorious Service at the end of her time in the position. She became an assistant librarian in
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, at the
Union Theological Seminary Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (shortened to UTS or Union) is a Private college, private ecumenical liberal Christian seminary in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University since 1928. Presently, Co ...
, and she held that position from 1945 to 1949. Ackerman became the assistant university librarian at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
(UCLA) in 1954, the associate university librarian in 1965, and the university librarian from 1973 until 1977. During her time at UCLA, she created the library's administrative network, and the network became a model for such systems across the United States. She worked on a university-wide catalog, improved selection, regional storage facilities, and acquiring extensive significant collections. Ackerman was in charge of taking care of the university's 3 million volumes and almost 500 staff. She was a part of the American Library Association (ALA) Council, and the ALA Committee on Organization. From 1973 to 1977 and from 1982 to 1983, Ackerman was a professor in UCLA's Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Ackerman had an important part in the creating the Frances Clark Sayers Lectureship. She also worked as a visiting librarian at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
and a consultant of university libraries in California, Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii. During her tenure as university librarian, Ackerman was the first woman on the Association of Research Libraries' board of directors.


Reception and awards

In 1973, Ackerman received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from UNC during University Day. She was the second woman to receive the award during the University Day ceremonies. ''The Chapel Hill News'' said that Ackerman was "one of the foremost woman librarians in the nation." Ackerman won the Status of Women Award from the American Association of University Women, the Agnes Scott College's Outstanding Alumna Award for Distinguished Career, and a Distinguished Career Citation from the Association of College and Research Libraries. A two-volume biography of interviews with Ackerman was published in 1995, and it is held in the
Charles E. Young Research Library The Charles E. Young Research Library is one of the largest libraries on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. It initially opened in 1964, and a second phase of construction was completed ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Page 1912 births 2006 deaths University of California, Los Angeles faculty Librarians from Illinois American women librarians American Library Association people Agnes Scott College alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni