SAA Remembers William L. Joyce

SAA Fellow, past president, and bibliophile William L. Joyce, 79, passed away on June 6, 2021, after a lengthy battle with cancer.  

Joyce earned a BA from Providence College, an MA from St. John's University, and a PhD from the University of Michigan, where he began his career in 1968 as a manuscripts librarian at the William L. Clements Library. He served on the staff of the American Antiquarian Society from 1972 to 1981, first as curator of manuscripts, then as education officer. In 1981, he was appointed assistant director for rare books and manuscripts at the New York Public Library and then moved on to Princeton University in 1986, where he served through 2000 as associate university librarian for rare books and special collec­tions. From 2000 to 2010, he was the Dorothy Foehr Huck chair of special collections and professor of history at Pennsylvania State University.

He shared his knowledge in the classroom, as a lecturer at Clark University, teaching graduate-level courses in archives administration at Columbia University, and as a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of the 1983 book Printing and Society on Early America

His professional service was extensive. At SAA, he served on the Council from 1981 to 1985 and as president from 1986 to 1987. In his incoming presidential greeting, "An Uneasy Balance: Voluntarism and Professionalism,” Joyce noted, "We are called upon to shape and to manage that portion of our cultural patrimony that exists as historical documentation."  He chaired the Task Force on Institutional Evaluation and participated in the Committee on Archival In­formation Exchange, co-chaired the 1977 Program Committee, and chaired the Committee on Education and Profes­sional Development. He was elected a Fellow of SAA in 1982.

In addition, Joyce served as chair of the Board of Directors of the Conservation Center for Art and History Artifacts and was a member of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board, the advisory committee for the Center for Jewish History, the New York State Records Advisory Board, the American Historical Association, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Bibliographic Society of America, and the Research Libraries Group. A member since 1983 of the Grolier Club—the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America—he was granted emeritus status in 2011 in acknowledgement of his many years of service.

The Society of American Archivists invites you to share your remembrances of Bill Joyce below.

 


51 Comment(s) to the "SAA Remembers William L. Joyce"
Darwin Abbott says:
Joyce was also deeply

Joyce was also deeply invested in education, teaching graduate courses at institutions like Clark University, Columbia University, and UCLA. His role as a professor and lecturer indicates his dedication to cultivating the next smash or pass generation of archivists and librarians.

109356 says:
faorant

If you're looking for a fast-paced, skill-based shooter that tests your reflexes and strategy, ​Falorant​is a must-try. This free-to-play 1v1 tactical FPS combines ​​precise gunplay, unique agent abilities, and intense duels​​, making every match a high-stakes battle of wits and aim.

109158 says:
A great loss to the archival

A great loss to the archival community. Try a ship name generator to honor him!

Xiao says:
Great article!

 

Great article! If you're also exploring tools to enhance content with realistic voiceovers, I recommend checking out AI Audio Generator. It's an advanced AI voice generator and text to speech platform that's perfect for creating high-quality audio from text in seconds. Super useful for video creators, educators, and anyone looking to save time on voiceovers.

 

Xiao says:
Great article!

 

Great article! If you're also exploring tools to enhance content with realistic voiceovers, I recommend checking out AI Audio Generator. It's an advanced AI voice generator and text to speech platform that's perfect for creating high-quality audio from text in seconds. Super useful for video creators, educators, and anyone looking to save time on voiceovers.

 

Xiao says:
sprunki phase 7

 

Looking for a fast and easy way to isolate vocals from any song? Try Voice Isolator – a free online tool that lets you separate vocals and instrumentals in just one click. Perfect for music producers, content creators, and anyone working with audio. No downloads, no hassle – just clean, isolated sound!

 

110003 says:
Create stunning videos with

Create stunning videos with Veo 3 art, powered by Google's breakthrough AI video generator with native audio, 4K resolution, and realistic physics.

Hong says:
What an inspiring legacy! As

What an inspiring legacy! As someone who worked extensively with rare books and manuscripts, Joyce would have appreciated the importance of proper book identification and ownership marking. His work at Princeton's special collections reminds me how crucial it is to maintain provenance records. I recently got a custom book embosser for my own collection after reading about his meticulous approach to cataloging. There's something deeply satisfying about marking books the traditional way, just as Joyce would have done with those precious manuscripts at the Clements Library. His dedication to preserving our "cultural patrimony" continues to inspire collectors and librarians alike.

zhao says:
Merge Fellas

While reflecting on the lasting impact of individuals like William L. Joyce in their fields, I recently came across an engaging and creative puzzle game that also celebrates dedication and skill: Merge Fellas. It’s a fun way to unwind while still engaging your mind.

zhao says:
Merge Fellas

While reflecting on the lasting impact of individuals like William L. Joyce in their fields, I recently came across an engaging and creative puzzle game that also celebrates dedication and skill: Merge Fellas. It’s a fun way to unwind while still engaging your mind.

gavin says:
What an impressive career!

What an impressive career! William L. Joyce clearly made a huge impact on the archives world. So inspiring to see such dedication to preserving our history. He will be missed! Doodle Cricket.

109896 says:
CloneUI is an ai web cloning

CloneUI is an ai web cloning tool that can quickly convert website screenshots, urls, or Figma designs into production-ready code (supporting frameworks such as React, Vue, HTML/CSS, etc.) to help developers efficiently generate responsive, customizable web code, significantly saving development time.

109896 says:
Style AI 
Style AI  is an arbitrary style Ai image generator and converter. Convert photos into different styles of art such as Ghibli, or convert text into original anime illustrations.
109896 says:
FLUX Kontext is an

FLUX Kontext is an intelligent image editing platform created for developers and creatives. It does not require professional skills and can quickly achieve professional-level visual creation through simple graphic and text commands. It supports one-click conversion of multiple artistic styles.

fildan says:
Speed Stars

William L. Joyce was a towering figure in the archival and bibliographic world, whose lifelong dedication to preserving and teaching about cultural heritage left a profound legacy. His leadership, scholarship, and service across numerous esteemed institutions and organizations reflect a career deeply committed to advancing the archival profession. He will be remembered not only for his contributions but also for the passion and integrity with which he served.see also Speed Stars Game .

wacky says:
William L. Joyce sounds like

William L. Joyce sounds like he was an absolute legend in the archival world!If you ever need a fun mental break from all the archival work, I found this quirky site called wacky flip. It’s surprisingly creative and a nice little distraction to refresh your mind before diving back into the archives!

109648 says:
Fancy

Wow, what a life! William L. Joyce sounds like he was an absolute legend in the archival world, a true bibliophile, and someone who really shaped the field. It's always tough to lose someone like that. Makes you think, if there were a random song generator for people's lives, what would his playlist sound like? Probably a lot of deep cuts and classics, just like his career.

109196 says:
maplestory market

A better MapleStory Steam Market browser at maplestory market with try-ons, no duplicate-item confusion, mobile support, and multi-language search.

109543 says:
crazy cattle 3d

Crazy Cattle 3D is a fun and chaotic WebGL browser game where you play as a cowboy managing wild cattle on an open ranch. No downloads needed — just open and play!Start your ranching journey today: https://cattlecrazy3d.com/

hexi says:
Wow, William L. Joyce sounds

Wow, William L. Joyce sounds like he was a real legend in the archives world! It's inspiring to see someone so dedicated to preserving history. Makes you think about the importance of yes or no decisions in preserving our cultural heritage! YesOrNoo actually helps to make the most important decisions!

hexi says:
italianbrainrotclicker

Rest in peace, William L. Joyce. Seems like he dedicated his life to preserving our history. So many contributions! It's definitely not like playing some Italian Brainrot Clicker | Play Free Online Brainrot Clicker Unblocked, but his work surely matters for the future.

109490 says:
ai

A heartfelt remembrance of William L. Joyce's remarkable contributions to archival preservation and education. His leadership at Princeton and SAA helped shape our profession's standards. This tribute beautifully captures his enduring legacy as both scholar and mentor. Deepest condolences to colleagues, friends, and family

 attractiveness scale 

109356 says:
merge fellas

That printing history book seems neat! merge fellas

109356 says:
merge fellas

That printing history book seems neat! merge fellas

109449 says:
His influence extended beyond

His influence extended beyond institutional walls through his teaching, publications, and his significant leadership in the Society of American Archivists (SAA), where he helped shape professional standards and priorities. His presidency and numerous committee roles underscore a lifelong commitment to balancing the values of voluntarism and professionalism in archival work. His quote about managing our "cultural patrimony" resonates as a guiding principle for current and future archivists. See also Tumblr Video Downloader.

yuxiang says:
Destiny Matrix

What a remarkable life! It's inspiring to see someone so dedicated to archives and history. Rest in peace, Mr. Joyce. Your contributions to the field will never be forgotten. I was skeptical at first, but Destiny Matrix offered profound insights into my relationship dynamics. 

109425 says:
Crazy Cattle 3D

A remarkable legacy of scholarship, service, and dedication to cultural preservation. William L. Joyce's commitment to archival integrity continues to inspire. And for those moments when we need a light-hearted escape after reflecting on such a profound career, Crazy Cattle 3D offers a chaotic and clever distraction—because sometimes, history and hilarity go hand in hand in shaping human experience.

109356 says:
curve rush

Whoa! Curve Rush is EPIC! Join in like 3 seconds and PLAY! Everything's so simple and cool! 

109356 says:
Repo Game

Repo Game is LIT! Sign up takes like 2 seconds and BAM - you're playing! So many cool games and easy to use! 

109356 says:
shell shock

Okay real talk - how did Joyce become the hero of old books in libraries?  Shell Shock

109356 says:
Sunset Bike Racing

Hey hey! I'm curious - what made Joyce so good at saving rare books in libraries? Sunset Bike Racing

109356 says:
CorruptBox

This is EPIC! Like, one-click join, all the games you want, plus no hackers? MUST TRY!  CorruptBox

109356 says:
ludoteca

YAAAS! Takes 2 seconds to join, has every game ever, AND keeps you secure? LET'S GO! Ludoteca

109356 says:
driftboss

Ayyy! Super fast to join, games galore, AND they lock out the bad guys? I'M IN!  driftboss

109356 says:
WorldGuessr

Can you tell me more about what Joyce did for libraries? Like how he saved all those super old books? WorldGuessr

109356 says:
Crazy Cattle 3D

OMG this is perfect! Easy to join, lots of games, AND super safe? Count me in! Crazy Cattle 3D

 

109356 says:
Crazy Cattle 3D

Signing up was SO easy! Tons of awesome free games AND they keep you safe? Def gonna try this! Crazy Cattle 3D

 

109507 says:
https://brainrotclicker.co

https://brainrotclicker.co is a quirky, addictive idle-clicker game where players tap endlessly to fuel absurd Italian-themed chaos. Collect virtual pasta, "upgrade" nonsensical items like sentient pizzas or espresso-powered gondolas, and unlock increasingly bizarre characters (think shouting gondoliers or philosophical meatballs). With its intentionally low-effort pixel art and satirical take on clicker-game tropes, it’s designed to mock mindless gaming while ironically hooking players. Perfect for meme lovers or anyone craving a humorous, brainless escape. Just don’t expect depth—embrace the "brainrot"!

masa says:
全角半角変換

日本語の文章を入力する際、文字の全角と半角の使い分けは非常に重要です。特にプログラミングやデータ入力の場面では、正確な変換が求められます。便利な全角半角変換ツールを使えば、簡単に文字の整形が可能で、作業効率も大幅に向上します。

masa says:
ガソリン代計算

ガソリン代計算は、ドライブや通勤の燃料費を簡単に計算できる便利なツールです。

masa says:
不動産税金計算

不動産税金計算は、固定資産税・不動産取得税・登録免許税を無料で簡単にシミュレーションできる便利ツールです。物件種別や特例条件に応じて正確な税額が計算できます。

109195 says:
Ruby-Slots sounds pretty good!

Ruby-Slots sounds pretty good! Easy sign-up and lots of games. Plus, knowing they take security seriously is a big plus. Might have to check it out! Crazy Cattle 3D

109061 says:
His book on printing in early

His book on printing in early America sounds Crazy Cattle 3D fascinating as well.

Andree says:
The animations and design are

The animations and design are top-notch. It’s one of the best-looking mobile subway surfers games I've played.

106477 says:
Unique writing style

William was a wonderful person and a good professional. I remember when I was 20 he was granted emeritus status in 2011. I recently came across a very interesting Site. I think William would certainly appreciate the literary skill with which the review was written.

103897 says:
Fantastic post! Rugby sevens

Fantastic post! Rugby sevens offers a fast-paced twist on the traditional game. If you’re into placing bets on rugby sevens matches, there's a lot of detailed analysis out there. Understanding team strategies and player form can boost your betting Melbet success.

103527 says:
Ask

Could you provide more details on Joyce's contributions to the field of librarianship and his impact on preserving rare books and manuscripts? geometry dash subzero asks.

monka says:
australia

Playing on this site in Australia - stay casino - https://stay.casinologinaustralia.com/ , I realised why this site is so adored by players in Australia, because this site has impeccable quality, which automatically makes this site a great place to play all types of gambling! I advise you to try this site and see for yourself the quality of it.

Kath says:
He began his career at the

He began his career at the Public Library before transferring to Princeton University in 1986, where he worked as an assistant university librarian for rare books and special collections until 2000.  

concrete layers

Stev1084a says:
Bill Joyce Remembered

I knew Bill from the New York Public Library.  He was a kind and gentle man.  The Library could see when they had hired him that he was a scholar and a man of intellect.  My condolences to his family. He will be missed.