John Boynton Kaiser was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1887. He received his B.A. in 1908 from the Western Reserve University, and later Kaiser studied at the New York State Library School in Albany, N.Y., where he received his B.L.S. in 1910 and M.L.S. in 1917.
After graduating, Kaiser began his career at the New York State Law Library. He became the assistant state librarian in charge of legislative services at the Texas State Library from 1910-11. He served as the departmental librarian in economics and sociology at the University of Illinois from 1911-1914. Kaiser was the director of the Tacoma Public Library from 1914 to 1924. However, during World War I, Kaiser served as the camp librarian at Camp Knox in Kentucky and Camp Upton in New York from 1918-1919. He left Tacoma to become the University of Iowa Libraries director and was in charge of their library school. Then in 1927, he took a position as director of the Oakland Public Library until 1943, when he became director of the Newark Public Library. While director of the Oakland Public Library, Kaiser was "also responsible for the Oakland Public Museum, the Snow Museum, and the Oakland Art Gallery." Kaiser retired from Newark Public Library in 1958.
Kaiser wrote many publications, including The National Bibliographies of the South American Republics (1913), Law Legislative and Municipal Reference Libraries, an Introductory Manual and Bibliographical Guide (1914) and Legal Aspects of Library Administration (1958). In addition, Kaiser served as president of the Pacific Northwest Library Association, the California Library Association, the New Jersey Library Association, and the New York State Library School Association. He was vice president of the American Library Association and executive director of the American Documentation Institute. Kaiser passed away on September 30, 1973 in Florida.
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Includes correspondence, reports, research files, and other documentation related to Kaiser's work as the Director of Tacoma Public Library and as a leader in national, regional, and state library associations. Research files and related correspondence are also included in the papers, particularly on the topics of school librarians and the restoration of the name of Mount Tahoma. As Library Director during World War I and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, Kaiser's papers also intersect with these topics and their impact on libraries.
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F.F. Hopper's Correspondence
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F.F. Hopper's Correspondence with Kaiser about issues at the Tacoma Public Library. Hopper now works for New York Public Library.
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Kaiser correspondence with local government officals.
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Correspondence with the Washington State Attorney General, L.L. Thompson
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Correspondence with Washington State government officials.
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Correspondence with Washington State government officials.
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Correspondence about State Library Committees.
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Records pertaining about Senate Bill 183
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Correspondence with federal government officials/agencies.
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Correspondence pertaining to the relationship between public libraries and schools.
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Correspondence regarding employment as a Tacoma Public School librarian.
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Letters to and from Tacoma residents, companies, and organizations.
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Letters to and from Tacoma residents, companies, and organizations.
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Letters to and from Washington residents, companies, and organizations.
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Letters to and from U.S. residents, companies, and organizations.
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Letters to and from people, companies, and organizations abroad.
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Correspondence between the Tacoma Public Library and the Seattle Public Library, mainly between Kaiser and J.T. Jennings.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians located in Washington.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians based in western states such as California, Oregon.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians based in midwestern states such as Wisconsin, Ohio.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians based in eastern states such as New York, Massachusetts.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians based in southern states such as Alabama, Tennessee.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and other librarians based in Canada.
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Correspondence between Kaiser representing the Tacoma Public Library and librarians at the University of Washington at Seattle, often William E. Henry.
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Correspondence between Kaiser and other librarians or students at U.S. universities.
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Correspondence between Kaiser and administrators at Western Reserve University, some letters focused on alumni
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Correspondence between Kaiser and administrators at Western Reserve University, some letters focused on alumni
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Correspondence with Tacoma Public School administrators concerning libraries.
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Correspondence with the Y.M.C.A. about local endeavors like Americanization and WWI army camps.
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Correspondence with publishers concerning purchases or reviews of books.
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Correspondence with unions and workers associations reviewing articles written, job vacancies.
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Correspondence with the Library Journal publication about library literature.
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Correspondence with the Rhodes Company about closing of the library section at the Rhodes Department Store.
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Correspondence about subscriptions not received or incorrect.
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Correspondence with the Carnegie Corportation concerning a library in Vancouver.
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Correspondence with the Commonwealth Club of California providing advice.
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Correspondence with lawyers seeking advice.
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Correspondence about the Northwestern Americanization Insitute program.
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Correspondence seeking advice on how to deal with library books that were exposed to infectious diseases.
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Correspondence about municipalities.
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Local newspaper clippings about library news, events, conferences.
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correspondence about Pacific Northwest Library Association Committee Meetings.
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F.F. Hopper's Correspondence searching for replacement library director
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Records about the running of the Tacoma Public Library.
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Records about the running of the Tacoma Public Library.
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Records about the running of the Tacoma Public Library.
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Records about the regarding the management of the Tacoma Public Library.
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Records about the regarding the management of the Tacoma Public Library.
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Examples of staff efficiency records
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1916 Annual Report
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1920 Annual Report
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1921 Annual Report
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Tacoma Public Library Board Minutes
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Tacoma Public Library Board Minutes
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Correspondence about the decisions/actions made by the library board.
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Correspondence about the decisions/actions made by the library board.
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Correspondence about the decisions/actions made by the library board.
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Records regarding the library's involvement in WWI
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Tacoma Public Library Staff Correspondence
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Correspondence regarding employment at the public library.
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Correspondence regarding civic departments in libraries.
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Records and correspondence gather for Advisory Board's survey of Washington State libraries.
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Records and correspondence gather for Advisory Board's survey of Washington State libraries.
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Records and correspondence gathered about the ability to use tax levies to fund libraries and senate Bill 86.
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Records and correspondence gather for Advisory Board's evaluation of travel libraries.
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Correspondence concerning the Washington State Library board
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Correspondence concerning the Washington State Library board
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Correspondence concerning the Washington State Library board
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Correspondence concerning the Washington State Library board
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Correspondence with libraries involved in the Pacific Northwest Library Association.
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Correspondence with libraries involved in the Pacific Northwest Library Association.
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Correspondence with libraries involved in the Pacific Northwest Library Association.
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Outline of Kaiser's professional and civic accomplishments.
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Documents and correspondence about introducing county libraries.
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Records discussing the library's work post WWI such as fixing the Y.M.C.A. library
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Records and correspondence about the Apprentice course offered at the library.
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Records and correspondence about the Apprentice course offered at the library.
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Records and correspondence about the Apprentice course offered at the library.
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Correspondence pertaining to the relationship between public libraries and schools.
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Correspondence about the public library's work with local schools.
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Records about Apprecenticne class 1919
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Records containing corresponding with Mrs. H.W. Patton, chairman, Dr. Henry Suzzallo, and Dr. E.O. Holland
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Annotated Bibliography of Kaisers writings published from 1911 to 1958 created by the Newark Public Library in honor of Kaiser's retirement in July 1958.
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Publications from libraries and the American Library Association
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Miscellaneous notes
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Letters and documents advocating for the renaming of Mt. Rainier to Mt. Tacoma.
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Newpaper articles and publications relating to the Tacoma Public Library
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Newpaper articles from the Tacoma Daily Ledger, mainly the "Literary Guide Post" articles.
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Letters and records regarding the American Library Association.
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Letters and records regarding the American Library Association.
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Letters and records regarding the American Library Association's role in supplying books and magazines to soldiers.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Letters and records regarding the Enlarged Program to encourage public goodwill towards libraries and expand library access.
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Kaiser 1960s correspondence regarding the A.L.A.