EDITH KEYS PAPERS
1950-1981
(predominantly 1952-1968)
East Tennessee State University
University Archives
P. O. Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338
________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Title: Edith Keys Papers
Collection Number: Accession No. 318
Physical Description: 1 linear foot
Creator: Edith Keys
Repository: University Archives, East Tennessee State University
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Provenance:
The papers of Edith Keys were donated to the Archives of Appalachia on March 15, 1988 by
Edith Keys.
Access: The papers were opened for research on September 25, 1990.
Processing Information: S.Schwartz, A.Cunningham, and A.Kilgore completed processing the collection in 1990.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Edith Keys was born July 17, 1919 and raised in Limestone, Tennessee. She attended East
Tennessee State College and in 1940 earned a bachelor's degree with an emphasis on home
economics and English. Keys' career as a librarian began at Lamar School in Washington
County, Tennnessee where she taught home economics, English, history, and during the early
1940s served as the school's librarian.
In 1945, Keys began teaching at Southside Elementary School and the following year transferred to Keystone Elementary School, where she remained until 1955. During this time, she periodically returned to East Tennessee State College to work in the library and to take graduate courses. In 1955, Keys began attending summer sessions at George Peabody College receiving a master's degree in library service in August 1957.
Keys joined ETSC's library staff in 1958. As a reference librarian, she was responsible for the library education program and the training of the library's student workers and staff employees. Ms. Keys was promoted to associate professor in 1967 and after nearly two more decades of continuous service she retired in March 1984.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Edith Keys Papers consist of a scrapbook containing drawings, pictures, and bulletin
board exhibits which document Key's activities as the public relations person for the East
Tennessee State College's Sherrod Library. In addition, there is correspondence,
memoranda, teaching tools for freshmen orientation, and a reference card index documenting
Keys involvement with patron education and reference activities for the Sherrod Library.
Records date from 1950 to 1981, though the majority of the documents date between 1951 and
1953.
This collection is divided into two series: Series I, Radio Script and Scrapbook Materials, 1950-1953 and Series II, Memoranda, Library and Reference Materials, 1960-1980. Series I contains a radio script detailing the history of college library from 1911-1950, as well as a scrapbook with pictures, drawings, and exhibits of bulletin boards that illustrate the architectural layout and specific locations of important reference collections within the Sherrod Library. Series II contains correspondence, lesson plans, notes, and reference materials documenting Keys' activities as a supervisor of students, reference librarian, and educator. In addition to these materials, there is a card file used by Keys to quickly locate specific reference materials.
Important subjects covered in the collection include:
Garland, Eleanor Anne, 1925-1973--Death and burial
Honaker, L. Scott (Lombe Scott)--Friends and associates
Library orientation for college students
Sherrod Library
Important correspondence covered in the collection include:
Borchuck, Fred Paul, 1934-
Bramlett, Christopher Lewis, 1938-
Sherrod, Charles Chester, 1885-
Smith, Hal H. (Hal Haynes)
Stahl, Ray, 1917-
Walters, Edward M. (Edward Mayes), 1944-
SERIES DESCRIPTION
1 Hollinger and 1 small card file
Series I, RADIO SCRIPT AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS,
1950-1953, Box 1.
Series I consists of a scrapbook containing drawings, pictures, and exhibit material
reflecting Edith Keys' in-service contributions to the Sherrod Library and ETSC as
librarian and associate professor between 1958 and 1984. The scrapbook is arranged by
month and then year; for example, all materials dating from January 1951, 1952, and 1953
are grouped together followed by those items for February. In addition to the scrapbook,
there is a radio script written in 1950 which chronicles the history of ETSC's library
from 1911 to 1950. The radio script precedes the scrapbook in this series.
Series II, MEMORANDA, LIBRARY, AND REFERENCE
MATERIALS, 1960-1981, Box 1.
Series II contains correspondence, memoranda, library reports, reference materials, and
handouts for library orientations documenting the general operation and arrangement of the
Sherrod Library between 1960- 1980. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Series II also contains a card file used by the Sherrod Library reference staff in order
to quickly locate reference materials that would be useful in answering frequently asked
questions by patrons.
BOX AND FOLDER LIST
Series I, RADIO SCRIPT AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS, 1950-1953, Box 1.
Box 1
1. Radio Script and Scrapbook Material for Bulletin Boards in the library (Part I), 1950-53.
2. Scrapbook material for bulletin boards in the library (Part 2), June 1951-December 1952.
Series II, MEMORANDA, LIBRARY, AND REFERENCE MATERIALS,
1960-1981, Box 1.
Box 1
3. Correspondence and Memoranda from Hal Smith, university librarian, to library staff, 1960-80.
4. Library Report and Memorandum, 1978-81.
5. Miscellaneous Cheers Stub, ND.
6. Reference Materials: Daily routine and Bibliographical material, ND.
7. Teaching Tools: Practice exercises on library use, orientation outline, student assistant information, 1963.
INDEX TO THE EDITH KEYS PAPERS(1)
1. Notation following index term indicates box and folder location of indexed materials.
American Association of University Women: 1-1.
American Education Week: 1-2.
Beller, Ronald: 1-4.
Borchuck, Fred. P.: 1-4.
Bramlett, Dr. Christopher: 1-3.
Cade, Denne: 1-3.
Carter, Don: 1-3.
ETSU Thesis: 1-6.
Freshman Orientation-ETSC: 1-7.
Fultz, Nancy: 1-3.
Garland, Eleanor Anne-Obituary: 1-3.
Honaker, Dr. Scott L.: 1-4.
Leonard, Eva: 1-1.
Library Milestone Observation: 1-3.
Lyons, Mary: 1-1.
McNeil, Archie: 1-7.
Munn, Ralph: 1-7.
Open House for Charles C. Sherrod Library: 1-3.
Parsley, David: 1-3.
Russell, Betsy: 1-3.
Sherrod, Charles C.: 1-3.
Sherrod Library Dedication: 1-3.
Smith, Gretchen: 1-1.
Smith, Hal: 1-3.
Smith, Travis: 1-3.
Stahl, Ray: 1-3.
Walters, Edward: 1-4.
Werking, Richard H.: 1-4.
Witty, Joy: 1-3.