Carl B. Roden - William F. Poole Research Papers, 1852-1956

Gift of Marian Roden, June, 1975.

The Carl B. Roden - William F. Poole Papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

The Carl B. Roden - William F. Poole Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.

Carl B. Roden - William F. Poole Papers, The Newberry Library, Chicago.

Amy Nyholm, 1949; Diana Haskell, 1977; Virginia H. Smith, 2000

Fourth chief librarian of the Chicago Public Library, who conducted research for a biography of William F. Poole.

Born in 1870, Carl Bismarck Roden began as a library page in 1886, and he worked his way up the ranks to become chief of catalog division. Roden graduated from law school and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1891. He, however, never practiced law. He was appointed chief librarian in 1918 and served until 1950. During Roden's administration of the Chicago Public Library, the branch library system increased 50 percent; the staff more than doubled; the book stock increased threefold; circulation doubled; and total expenditures rose more than 400 percent. Under his aegis, the Chicago Public Library system became the largest circulating library in the world. Upon retirement, Roden took on the task of writing the biography of Chicago Public Library's first librarian: William F. Poole.

American Librarian, author of works of history and librarianship.

On Christmas Eve in 1821, William Frederick Poole was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Before attending Yale University in 1842, Poole was apprenticed as a jeweler. At Yale, Poole became the assistant librarian. During the course of his career, Poole was librarian of the Boston Athenaeum (1856-69), and of Cincinnati Public Library (1871-73). A pioneer in theories of library administration, he assisted in organizing many libraries, including the Chicago Public Library, the Newberry Library, and the library of the U.S. Naval Academy. His guide, Poole's Index to Periodical Literature was the first general guide to periodical literature in the United States. Poole also wrote numerous historical monographs including Cotton Mather and Salem Witchcraft (1869) and Anti-Slavery Opinions before 1800 (1873). Poole firmly placed himself as a giant of the library profession with his appointment as the first chief librarian of Chicago Public Library (1874-87) and the Newberry Library (1887-94) and as one of the founders and president of Chicago, Illinois and American library associations.

Correspondence and writings of Carl Roden pertaining to William F. Poole, together with correspondence and writings of William F. Poole, publications and transcribed records from institutions and organizations with which Poole was affiliated, and biographical essays and newspaper clippings about him.

Includes William F. Poole's correspondence (mainly copies) with acquaintances and colleagues, and correspondence of Carl Roden relating to his research on Poole. There are notes and copies of multiple drafts of Roden's biography of Poole and writings (published and unpublished) of Poole. Also included are various newspaper clippings relating to milestones in Poole's life, publications and transcriptions of records from the various libraries where Poole worked, and the organizations in which he participated.

Papers are organized in the following series:

Title Box Series 1: Correspondence, 1852-1956 Box 1 Series 2: Newspaper Clippings, 1890-1894 Box 1 Series 3: Writings, 1868-1956 Boxes 1-2 Series 4: Miscellaneous, 1855-1954 Box 3

• Names
  • American Library Association.
  • Baker, George Bramwell, 1832-1865
  • Borome, Joseph Alfred, 1919-
  • Boston Athenaeum. -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Bowker, R. R., (Richard Rogers), 1848-1933
  • Chicago Literary Club. -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Chicago Public Library. -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Cincinnati Public Library. -- Records and correspondence
  • Danton, Emily Miller
  • Herrick, Edward C.
  • Hild, Frederick H.
  • Newberry Library. -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Pargellis, Stanley McCrory, 1898-
  • Poole, Charles H.
  • Poole, William Frederick, 1821-1894
  • Roden, Carl B. (Carl Bismarck), 1871-1956
  • Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
  • Williamson, William Landram, 1920-
  • Wire, George E., 1859-1936
• Subject
  • Chicago
  • Libraries -- United States -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Library administration -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
  • Newberry Library
• Geographic Coverage
  • Chicago (Ill.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
  • Chicago (Ill.) -- Newspapers