The University Libraries are saddened to hear about the passing of Arthur Ray Rowland (Ray), Librarian Emeritus. Rowland began his career at Augusta College in 1961 as the College Librarian, ushering in a transformative era for the institution’s library. One of his first major initiatives was converting the cataloging system from Dewey Decimal to the Library of Congress Classification and preparing the college for its transition to a four-year degree program in 1963. Under his leadership, the library’s collection expanded rapidly, reaching over 90,000 volumes by 1970 and eventually surpassing 400,000 volumes by the late 1980s.
Rowland oversaw significant growth in library facilities and services. He guided the expansion of the library’s physical space, coordinated major book drives, and secured grants and community support, including a pivotal $250,000 gift from Katherine Reese Pamplin and her husband in 1972. This donation led to the construction of the current Reese Library, which opened in 1977. Rowland also championed technological innovation, making Augusta College a founding member of the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) in 1974, enabling automated cataloging and resource sharing through OCLC.
Throughout his tenure, Rowland improved access to government documents by becoming a Federal Depository, expanded interlibrary loan services and bibliographic databases to ensure students and faculty had greater access to national and international research materials, and developed the Library’s Special Collections to preserve and provide access to unique materials related to the institution and the local area.
In 1986, Rowland served abroad as a library consultant in Indonesia, reflecting his professional expertise beyond Augusta College. He returned to continue guiding the library through the implementation of new systems such as SIRSI circulation in 1987 and the ATLAS integrated online catalog in 1989. His leadership positioned Reese Library as a modern, resource-rich institution central to the college’s academic mission.
After three decades of service, Ray Rowland retired on June 30, 1991. His legacy is marked by visionary growth, technological advancement, and a commitment to building a library that could fully support the expanding needs of the College’s students and faculty.
