Robert G. Vosper at KU

During his time at the University of Kansas, Robert Vosper led an era of incredible growth for the libraries and contributed heavily to the field of librarianship.

Under Vosper’s leadership, the collections at KU Libraries developed at an astounding pace. Vosper established the department of Special Collections in 1953 and worked to acquire two of the Libraries’ greatest assets: the O’Hegarty Collection of Irish literature and the Ellis Collection of zoological illustrations and publications. During the nine years he served as director, Vosper estimated that the library gained “almost as many volumes as were accumulated in the previous 85 years of its existence.”

In addition to building library collections, Vosper was known for promoting intellectual freedom and unwavering access to library resources. During the height of the McCarthy era, he brought awareness to the practice of banning books. Later in his career, Vosper described a library as an “open sanctuary” devoted to “individual intellectual inquiry and contemplation … with access to it always guaranteed.” This dedication to access and scholastic liberty is a standard set by Vosper that has continued to resonate at KU Libraries.

From his advocacy of intellectual freedom to his unwavering support of access to library resources, Vosper’s dedication to scholastic liberty is a standard we are proud to carry forward here at KU. His indelible mark on our history will not soon be forgotten.

 lorraine j. haricombe
Dean, KU Libraries
July 2013