MILTON E. LORD
Director of Libraries
September 1930 – January 1932
Milton Lord began a career in engineering at Harvard, but became interested in library work after serving as a part-time assistant in the library; he also acted as librarian of Harvard Union in Cambridge. Lord then spent a year at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques in Paris and four years in Italy as librarian of the American Academy in Rome, where he assisted in the recataloging of the Vatican Library.
Lord came to Iowa to assume the post of professor and director of university libraries and of the library school. Here he had the novel idea of creating recreational reading rooms that were comfortably furnished. Lord also instituted improvements in the circulation system, such as improving the system of charging out books. Lord left Iowa to become Director of the Boston Public Library, where he stayed until his retirement in 1965.