Jones, Perrie, 1886-1968

Personal, family, and professional correspondence; lecture notes; print and near-print materials; newspaper clippings; a World War I journal; speeches; articles, essays, and poetry; photographs; and other papers documenting the career of Perrie Jones, St. Paul Public Library director (1937-1955). Prior to 1937, Jones was Wabasha Public Library director (1911-1915), an organizer of hospital library services in St. Paul (1921-1928), and supervisor of Minnesota State institutional libraries (1928-1937). She also conducted classes in hospital librarianship at the University of Minnesota Library School (1937-1948), and was active in many committees of the American Library Association and of institutional library associations.

Personal papers include extensive correspondence with her cousin, Richard Hugh Williams, Nova Scotia (1913-1941); correspondence with other family, friends, and professional associates (1900-1968); letters from several American literary figures, a scrapbook she kept while attending Wabasha (Minn.) High School (1899-1903); a journal of her experiences in France with the American Red Cross (1917-1918); and her own writings including essays, poetry, speeches, and articles (ca.1929-1968). A small body of her parents' correspondence (1885-1938) is also included.

A major portion of the collection is concerned with Jones' leadership in providing library services to hospitals and state institutions. The files, containing correspondence, print and near-print materials, newspaper clippings, and articles, reviews, and speeches by Jones, cover the many aspects of providing books to such institutions. There are also files on the various professional organizations concerned with this project, and notes, correspondence, and other papers relating to Jones' production of a handbook on institutional libraries for the American Library Association. Also included are lecture notes, schedules, reading lists, student papers, correspondence, and pupil records from Jones' course in hospital librarianship at the University of Minnesota.

From the guide to the Perrie Jones and family papers., 1885-1980., (Minnesota Historical Society)