Abstract

John Patrick McGowan was was Northwestern University Library's (NUL) first Associate Librarian, and held the position of head librarian for 20 years. Under McGowan's leadership, NUL developed NOTIS, an online library system which revolutionized the creation and presentation of catalog records for library materials. McGowan retired from NUL in 1992. His papers span the years 1956 to 2006. The collection is divided into biographical information, general correspondence, papers, and speeches.

Abstract The Subject Files fill thirty-two boxes and cover a time of significant growth and change in the University Library. The bulk of the records date between 1971, when John McGowan assumed the post of University Librarian (shortly after the completion of the new main Library building), and 1988. A few records from the mid- to late-1960s predate McGowan's tenure. This series documents the day-to-day administration of a major research library, with an emphasis on the important change to a...