UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #838
ZWEIZIG, DOUGLAS

ZWEIZIG, Douglas (1938- )
Professor Emeritus, School of Library and Information Studies
At UW: 1982-2000

Interviewed: 2007	
Interviewer: Sandy Pfahler
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes

Family background; Education; Lafayette College; Graduate education in English and library service; Dissertation; Consulting; Hiring by UW; Research; Teaching; Professional activities; Changes in the field; Writing; Retirement.

Interview Session (February 5, 2007): Tape 1

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:53	Douglas Zweizig was born in Pennsylvania in 1938.  His father was a minister and thus his family moved frequently.  He graduated from high school in Allentown in 1956.

00:02:25	His aunt was a librarian.

00:03:39	His mother had studied math in graduate school and his father had a theology degree from Yale.

00:04:08	DZ attended Lafayette College and wanted to study psychology and philosophy, but he ended up being an English major.  He graduated in 1960 and went to Harvard to pursue a master’s degree in English.  Thereafter he taught in the English department at the University of New Hampshire.

00:06:56	He went to Rutgers, where he earned his master’s degree in library service.  Then he went to Ohio State to work in the English and Speech graduate reading room.

00:12:05	DZ went to Syracuse University, working as an adjunct professor before pursuing his PhD.

00:16:51	He wrote his dissertation on adult use of public libraries.

00:20:01	DZ took a position at Toledo, where he taught and helped design the library school curriculum.

00:24:01	Then he taught for five years at the University of Washington.

00:27:20	In 1980 he went to work as a consultant at King Research Incorporated in Washington, D.C.

00:33:38	DZ discusses his hiring by UW.  He began teaching in the summer of 1982.

00:37:28	He taught courses the library in society, research methods, and management.

00:38:05	DZ discusses his research.

00:40:35	He and Jane Robbins won a contract to study adult literacy activities in libraries.

00:43:17	He was tenured in his second year at UW.

00:45:20	DZ talks about his teaching.

00:46:57	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:47:00	Douglas Zweizig continues to discuss his teaching.

00:49:01	He talks about some graduate students he supervised.

00:51:55	DZ discusses the culture of the department.  

00:52:51	He and Diane Hopkins co-directed the Library Power Program, which tried to make libraries more active in the school.

00:54:24	DZ discusses major changes in the field, including the split between library science and information science, advances in information technology, and greater emphasis on users (as opposed to materials).  Still, all libraries face the problem of how to explain why library services ought to be funded.

01:03:19	He talks about library management.

01:05:39	Much of his committee service occurred at the national, professional level.

01:07:15	He and Jane Robbins collaborated on a project evaluating library programs and services.

01:10:06	He thinks the ALA has made feeble efforts to justify expenditure on library services.

01:14:45	DZ talks about writing and publishing.

01:16:57	He talks about teaching composition.

01:19:00	In 1986 he was invited to Australia as a keynote speaker.  He also presented a paper at a conference in Sweden.

01:20:58	He talks about his wife and her career.

01:24:32	DZ discusses his activities since retirement.

01:29:33	End of side.  End of tape.  End of interview.

END