Seymour Lubetzky, UCLA Professor Emeritus and Pioneer in Cataloging, Dies at 104


Date: April 23, 2003
Contact: Shaena Engle ( [email protected] )
Phone: 310-206-5951

Seymour Lubetzky, a pioneer in the field of cataloging theory, died of heart failure in Los Angeles on April 5. He was 104.

Lubetzky, a professor emeritus from UCLA, was most renowned for his prolific contributions to cataloging theory and his influence in the development of the "Paris Principles" and the 1967 Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. He was widely considered as the foremost cataloging theorist of the 20th century. His contributions to the field of modern cataloging spanned a period of 60 years, from 1939 to 1998.

Lubetzky was born in 1898 in Zelwa, Poland (then part of Russia and now in Belarus). He worked as a teacher before he immigrated to the United States in 1927. After a brief stay in Chicago, he moved to Los Angeles and earned a B.A. from UCLA in 1931, and an M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1932, majoring in literature and languages. Additionally, he earned a certificate in librarianship and a credential in teaching.

In 1943 Lubetzky joined the Library of Congress as a cataloger. It was in this position that he made the distinction between information and its various expressions and revised the existing inefficient Anglo-American code of cataloging rules. His theory on code design soon spread worldwide and resulted in his holding a leadership role at the 1961 International Conference on Cataloging Principles in Paris. The conference was fundamental in establishing a system whereby all countries catalog compatibly, facilitating the exchanges of information worldwide.

In 1960 Lubetzky left the Library of Congress and became a teacher at UCLA's newly formed School of Library Service, which later became the Graduate School of Library and Information Science and merged with the Graduate School of Education in 1994 to form the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

After retiring in 1967, he continued to consult on cataloging problems and speak at national and international conferences. Three of his best-known works, "Cataloging Rules and Principles," "Code of Cataloging Rules" and "Principles of Cataloging," are widely used in library schools throughout the world and are still providing insights into the future of cataloging in the beginning of the 21st century.

In 1998 UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (GSE&IS) sponsored a symposium to honor Lubetzky's 100th birthday and his contributions to the world of cataloging.

Lubetzky received many honors and awards during his career, including the Margaret Mann Citation in 1955, for his analysis of cataloging practices; the Beta Phi Mu Award for Good Teaching in 1964; a Doctor of Laws degree at UCLA in 1969; and the Melvil Dewey Award in 1977, in recognition of his development of theory and practice relating to bibliography and cataloging. In 2002 he received the American Library Association's most prestigious award, Honorary Membership.

"Seymour Lubetzky's death is a great loss. He will be fondly remembered as one of the most beloved and important teachers and thinkers in cataloging theory of our century," said GSE&IS Dean Aimee Dorr. "His outstanding contributions were instrumental in creating the conceptual framework for the cataloging discipline as it exists today."

He is survived by his two sons, David and Richard, and his grandson, Darren.

Lubetzky established an endowed fund in the UCLA Department of Information Studies to support students with an interest in cataloging. Gifts to the Seymour Lubetzky Scholarship Fund No. 9240 are payable to the UCLA Foundation, and may be sent to GSE&IS Development Office, 2043 Moore Hall, Box 951521, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA� 90095-1521.

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