Seymour Lubetzky, known to many as the finest mind of the 20th century devoted to the discipline of cataloging, died April 5 of heart failure, just three weeks short of his 105th birthday. His lifelong achievements in the field of descriptive cataloging and his contributions to Anglo-American cataloging made him a library legend. His influence as a theorist, teacher, author, and public speaker has spanned eight decades.
Born in Zelwa, Poland, April 28, 1898, Lubetzky attended the University of California at Los Angeles from 1928 to 1931 and received his library degree in 1934. He was a cataloger and classifier at UCLA from 1936 to 1942, chief cataloger at the Library of Congress from 1943 to 1960, and professor in the School of Library Service at UCLA from 1960 to 1969.
Lubetzky’s writings have been called the best source for understanding our present cataloging system and the basis of all modern cataloging worldwide. His most influential works include Cataloging Rules and Principles, published by the Library of Congress in 1953; Code of Cataloging Rules, American Library Association, 1960; and Principles of Cataloging from the University of California, 1969. He was awarded Honorary Membership, the American Library Association’s highest honor, in 2002.
A memorial service was planned for April 13 at Hillside Memorial Park Chapel in Los Angeles.
Posted April 14, 2003.