Library History

In 1968, York College's first President, Dr. Dumont Kenny, recruited and appointed George M. Bailey to become York's first Chief Librarian. Professor Bailey had been Executive Secretary of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) from 1963 to 1968, and had previously worked in the libraries of Northwestern University, the University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Berkeley.

Professor Bailey held Master's degrees in History from the University of Pennsylvania and in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin.  Among his publications were articles published in Illinois Libraries, Drexel Library Quarterly, Rice University Studies, College Library Notes, and RQ.  In his work with ALA's Cooperative Reference Services Committee, he compiled Directory of Cooperative Reference Service Programs: A Preliminary Edition (Chicago: American Library Association, 1972). He served as Secretary of the CUNY Council of Chief Librarians during 1970-1971.

George Bailey left York in 1971 and became Associate Director of Libraries for The Claremont Colleges from 1971 until his retirement in 1989. He passed away in July 2018.

In 1972, Fred J. Harsaghy, Jr., was hired by York College President Milton Bassin to serve as the College's second Chief Librarian.

Professor Harsaghy had previously administered libraries in Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. He received a Master's degree in Library Science from Columbia University, and Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Public Administration from New York University. After he left York in 1974, Harsaghy taught at the University of New Haven and in the Danbury, Connecticut, public school system, and passed away in 1996.  Among his publications were articles in College and Research Libraries, Special Libraries, and Wilson Library Bulletin.

You can read a 1973 interview with Dr. Harsaghy from Pandora's Box.

Benedetto DiRusso was appointed York's fourth Chief Librarian by President Milton Bassin in 1986, after having served as Acting Chief Librarian for a year.

Professor DiRusso was an original York faculty member, having started in the Library in 1967, working in Public Services and then as Deputy Chief Librarian. He previously worked as science librarian at St. John’s University, and also at the Brooklyn Public Library. Professor DiRusso received Master's degrees in Library Science from Pratt Institute, and in Business Administration from St. John's University. The editor of several subject bibliographies that were compiled by York librarians, including The American Indian, Then and Now, Professor DiRusso also contributed articles on Albert Claude and Emilio Segrè to the Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. He served as Treasurer of LACUNY (the Library Association of the City University of New York) during 1975-1976. He stepped down as Chief Librarian in 1988, and retired in 1991.

Professor DiRusso passed away in June 2010.

Robert A. Machalow was appointed York's sixth Chief Librarian in 1992 by President Josephine Davis.

Professor Machalow first joined the York College Library faculty in 1982, working as the Serials Librarian, Curriculum Materials Center Librarian, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Bibliographic Instruction Librarian, and Systems Librarian, and later served as Head of Circulation & Reserve and Head of Archives & Special Collections until his retirement in 2014. He received a Master's degree in English Literature from Indiana University, and in Library Science from Rutgers University.  Prof. Machalow authored five books on the use of technology in libraries, and contributed articles to The Reference Librarian, Computers in Libraries, OCLC Micro, Library Software Review, ERIC, Small Computers in Libraries, and The Unabashed Librarian.

Professor Machalow passed away in May 2019. The newly established children's library in the York College Child and Family Center, located on the site of the former St. Monica's Church, was named in his honor in February 2024.

After serving as Acting Chief Librarian for 18 months, John A. Drobnicki was appointed by President Marcia Keizs to be York's seventh Chief Librarian, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

Professor Drobnicki joined the York College Library faculty in 1995, starting as the Evening & Weekend Librarian-in-Charge, and then becoming Head of Reference Services, Library Webmaster, and Electronic Resources Librarian, and currently serves as Head of Acquisitions, Collection Development, and Library Webmaster, and recently was Head of Interlibrary Loan. He holds Master's degrees in History from St. John's University and Library Science from Queens College/CUNY.  He has contributed articles to Judaica Librarianship, Journal of Hate Studies, Public & Access Services Quarterly, Bulletin of Bibliography, Polish Review, College & Research Libraries News, ERIC, Sport in History, Biographical Dictionary of American and Canadian Naturalists and Environmentalists, Reference Librarian, OAH Magazine of History, the Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Technical Innovation in American History: An Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, Race and Ethnicity in the United States: From Pre-Contact to the Present, Italian Americans: The History and Culture of a People, and the Polish American Encyclopedia. He has been a reviewer for Choice since 1994.