The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.
Materials organized into multiple subseries:
1. ALA General Correspondence Files, 1977-2002
2. ASCLA Files, 1979-1991
3. ACA/AHIL/HRLSD Committee Files, 1972-1982
4. ASLA Executive Office Files, 1974-1978
5. ALA Legislation Committee Files, 1982-1986
6. LAMA Records, 1983-1986
7. DISC Files, 1975-1978
8. ASERL Organization Records, 1978-2002
9. Miscellaneous ALA Information Files, 1975-2002
10. CCLA Meeting and Correspondence Files, 1997-2002
11. Miscellaneous Organizations and Associations Files, 1997-2002
Roughly chronological within each subseries.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
George Barratt Wilkins (1943-2020) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended both Emory University and Georgia State University in Atlanta before receiving his degree in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His first professional library post was with the South Carolina State Library from 1969 to 1971. He also served as an Institutional Consultant to the Missouri State Library from 1971 to 1973.
Wilkins began with the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services in 1973 as assistant to State Librarian Cecil P. Beach. Four years later, Wilkins became State Librarian as well as Division Director. From June to October 1987, Wilkins also served as Acting Secretary of State, easing the transition between administrations. Under his leadership, the State Library witnessed the growth of library services in all Florida counties, the establishment of the Florida Library Network, and the creation of the Virtual Library of Florida. Wilkins was a major collaborator in the development and passage of the Federal Library Services and Technology Act of 1996.
Aside from providing leadership for state institutions, such as the Florida Library Association and the Florida Center for the Book, Wilkins also increased the state library's involvement in regional and national organizations such as the Southeastern Library Association, the Southeastern Library Network, Inc., the American Library Association, and National Center for Education Statistics. Through his professional affiliation with these agencies he raised public awareness of libraries, library education, and information science through national conferences, task forces, and publications in professional journals. Wilkins retired from public service in January 2003.
Summary:
This collection contains files maintained by State Librarian Barratt Wilkins documenting his membership in various professional library associations. Most of the files focus on divisions of the American Library Association (ALA), including the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), the Association of State Library Agencies (ASLA), and the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA). Included are files documenting joint meetings of the American Correctional Association and the Committee on Institutional Libraries and also the 1976 Jail Library Standards Project. Records of the Association of Hospital and Institutional Libraries (AHIL) detail its merger with the Health and Rehabilitative Library Services Division within ALA.
Additional records describe the formation and administration of various ALA committees, among them the ALA Legislative Committee, the Government Affairs Committee of LAMA, the Division Interests Special Committee, and the Committee on Organization. Other files discuss the 1972 Junior Members Round Table Committee on Minority Recruitment and the Ad Hoc Committee to Form a Coalition on Government Information. The collection also contains many general correspondence files discussing ALA matters from 1977 to 1990 and fiscal reports from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1997.
Besides the ALA-related records, there are files devoted to the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL). These files include the organization's 1978 Articles of Incorporation, meeting minutes, notes on the Preservation Microfilm Committee, and general correspondence.
for detailed listing.