From Games to Grunge: Popular Culture Research Collections at Bowling Green State University

Abstract

Where can one find a bust of Elvis Presley, a life-size cutout of Lionel Ritchie, a Country Music Hall of Fame flyswatter, and hundreds of thousands of recordings? What collection houses a wide variety of fanzines, holds manuscripts of mystery writers Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, and has been chosen as repository of Archives of Romance Writers of America? The Sound Recordings Archives and Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) house these and countless similar materials. In addition supporting curriculum of university, both collections have established reputations as national and international research centers for scholars interested in studying products of our culture. HISTORY As was fairly common among academic institutions in early 1960s, several academic departments at BGSU, including School of Music, developed independent collections of sound recordings. The collections were managed within each department and were intended for use by faculty and students of respective departments. Unfortunately, no provision had been made meet audio needs of rest of university. In 1967, library responded requests for support by establishing Audio Center, later renamed Sound Recordings Archives. William L. Schurk was hired in 1967 as first head of new center. Holding an M.S.L.S. from Western Reserve University's library school, Schurk had been an inveterate collector of sound recordings and other popular materials since his pre-teen years. In same year, Ray Browne joined faculty of BGSU's English Department. Although his academic background was in folklore and literature, Browne's primary interests lay in American- and popular-culture studies. Despite expected campus-wide skepticism, Browne found pockets of support - especially from dean of Graduate College - for study of popular culture, and he worked add relevant courses BGSU curriculum. He also believed it vital for library collect materials in support of these fledgling offerings. Browne found an ally in Schurk, who soon assumed title of Popular Culture Librarian in addition his position as head of Audio Center. The two collections developed in tandem for a number of years as team of Schurk and Browne undertook task of establishing one of first library collections intended collect and preserve that which was considered trivial - if not worthless - by academic community. The Audio Center opened in July 1968 and was intended to serve mainly as a place where students [could] round out classroom material with pertinent recordings.(1) At its opening, center's holdings included more than two thousand recordings of speeches, plays, and a wide variety of popular music. Initial holdings came from purchases, duplicates from Schurk's personal collection, and donations from area radio stations. The audio technology was representative of era, consisting of a central control booth from which selections could be played for up twenty-four students seated at remote listening stations. In addition audio materials, center's collections also included print materials - such as periodicals, catalogs, and discographies - related sound-recording industry. During this period, Browne continued his crusade legitimize popular as an area of academic inquiry. The Center for Study of Popular Culture attracted regional and national attention beginning in 1969, by which time popular-culture collection had been given a home in BGSU's library. According Schurk and Browne, the Popular Culture Library began with a gift of various materials (books, phonograph records, artifacts, etc.) worth approximately $100,000 from Bill Randie, Cleveland, Ohio radio personality.(2) From June through December 1969, articles about program and collections appeared in a number of publications, including Bowling Green Daily Sentinel-Tribune, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dayton Daily News, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Mamaroneck (N. …