National Library: Chief Reference Officer, 1955-1966

Containers:

Box 1-5

Component identifier:

Series 2

Content Summary:

After his return to Canberra in 1951, Burmester became the Chief Reference Officer. In subsequent years he took on additional responsibilities, including a lengthy period as acting Deputy Parliamentary Librarian. When the Parliamentary Library and the National Library split in 1961, he went to the National Library and he remained Chief Reference Officer until 1966. As well as being responsible for reference services, he did a great deal of selection work and also had oversight of the Australian Section and the organisation of the new Manuscripts, Maps and Pictorial sections.

Relatively few papers in this series relate to reference work. Instead, they deal mostly with collection policy, acquisitions, and the organisation and functioning of the Division, mainly in the years 1960-65. Most of the papers are internal Library documents, including reports, minutes, submissions and statistics, which survived more by accident than design. They are often very slight, but in general these kinds of records were not put on Library files and they therefore may have some historical value. There are a small number of letters, the correspondents including H.E. Maude, Phyllis Mander-Jones, Jean Whyte and Verity Fitzhardinge.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated by C.A. Burmester in many instalments between 1976 and 1989.

Names:

C. A. Burmester

Contents

Access and use