Dorothy Pierce Ladd joined the Norfolk Division (now Old Dominion University) in 1937, having just received her degree in library science from the College of William and Mary. Prior to Ladd's being hired as the first full-time librarian, faculty members shared duty in the library in addition to their teaching responsibilities. At that time the library was housed in a single room in the Administration Building. The collection consisted of about 2,000 volumes, many of them donated by faculty and the community. Ladd was given a small budget for the purchasing of new books and furniture. In 1942 she oversaw the expansion of the library, an endeavor which increased shelving space and created an adjoining reading room. By the end of Ladd's tenure, the library's total holdings had increased to 13,200 volumes, and the physical size of the library had doubled. In 1948 Ladd moved to Boston with her husband and began a 30-year career as a librarian at Boston University.

Interview

Alice R. Burke | Cynthia B. Duncan | Donna L. Koch | Patricia W. Perry

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