Education

• Formal Conceptual Analysis Systems, 1996. Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany
• Certificate of Completion University Management, 1994, Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC-Chapel Hill
• Ph.D., 1973, Indiana University, Bloomington, Library and Information Science
• M.A.T., 1965, Indiana University, Bloomington, Library Science
• B.A., 1962, North Carolina Central University, History

Biographical Note

Benjamin F. Speller, Jr. came to North Carolina Central University in 1976 as Professor of Library and Information Sciences from Elizabeth City State University where he was Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Speller served as Dean of the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences between 1983 and 2003. In 1984, he established the African American Resources Program in the School of Library and Information Sciences. In partnership with the North Carolina Center for the Study of Black History, an African American Archival Collection was established in 1985. In 1998, the archival collection was moved to UNC-Chapel Hill Manuscripts Department as a joint African American Research Archive. This collaborative archival project is viewed by the national archival, historical, and humanities communities as a pioneering model for preservation of African American documentary resources.

Dr. Speller is a recognized authority on college and university planning, specializing in institutional research, strategic planning, assessment, and budgeting. While at Elizabeth City State University, he was Academic Planning and Budgeting Officer and Director of Sponsored Research (1973-1976) and was Assistant to the Chancellor for Institutional Studies (1969-1973). Dr. Speller is currently an active consultant for strategic planning in academic environments. He is a member of the University of North Carolina System's Task Force on Performance Planning and Budgeting.

Dr. Speller has received a variety of honors: Distinguished Services Award (1971), Elizabeth City State University; Distinguished Alumni Award in Library Science (1986), Indiana University; and, listed in Who's Who in America 1987; Road Builders Award (1997), North Carolina Library Association.

He is an avid historic preservationist, having served on the Board of Directors of nearly all of the state's historic preservation organizations. He served as president of the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation (1986-1994) during the initial renovation of the Education Building of the Historic St. Joseph's AME Church complex and proposed the current name of this community facility, the Hayti Heritage Center of Durham. He served as president of the Historic Stagville Foundation; program chair of the Historic Preservation Society of Durham; and program chair of the African American History Committee, Historic Hope Foundation, Windsor, North Carolina. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Historic Preservation of North Carolina; serves on its Executive Committee, and is one of its representatives on the Board of Directors of the Bellamy Mansion of Decorative Arts in Wilmington. He is the charter chair of the North Carolina African Americana Network for Historic Preservation which was found March 1998 through the efforts of a state-wide taskforce of the State Historic Preservation Office, North Carolina Department of Archives and History. He is a member of the state's National Register Advisory Committee and the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB). He is also a long time member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In recognition of his many contributions, he received the 1998 Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award, North Carolina's most prestigious Preservation Award.

Dr. Speller, a native "Tar Heel", was reared on the Outlaw and Speller family farms of his paternal grandmother, Maggie Outlaw Speller and his paternal grandfather, Turner R. Speller, in Bertie County (Windsor Township). He is the son of Mamie Bond Speller and the late Benjamin F. Speller, Sr. .

Ongoing Research Projects

• Classification notations as conceptual disambiguators
• Information counseling through unobtrusive marketing strategies
• Assessment of preferred communication behavior of reference staff

Current Teaching Assignments

• Conceptual Knowledge Processing
• Information Systems Policy and Strategy
• Information Technologies in Education Organizations
• Management and Systems Analysis
• Research Methods

Selected Publications

• Co-authored with Michael O'Quinlivan, "An Index to Obituary Sketches in the Journal of Negro History, 1926-1958." Journal of Negro History, 57 (October 1972): 447-454.
• "Purchasing for Libraries and Information Centers--Bids and Contracts," Library Acquisitions: Practice and Theory, 5 (1981): 31-37.
• "Microcomputer Based Search/Save System for the Lockheed Information System (DIALOG)." Information Processing and Management, 18 (1982): 161-162. (With George F. Bowie, III)
• "National Issues Forums: A Potential Strategy for Public Library Outreach." Public Libraries, 23 (Summer 1984): 39-40. (With Joseph C. Andrews)
• "Living in an Open System: The Individual and the Library Organization." Journal of Library Administration, 5 (Winter 1984): 41-52.
• "Classification as an Enhancement of Intellectual Access to Information in an On-line Environment,” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 11 (1, 1990) Guest Editor of entire issue.
• "The State University and Its Political Environment," in E. J. Josey and Kenneth D. Shearer, eds., Politics and Its Support of Libraries. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1990, pp. 95-102.
• "The Role of the Work Plan in Assessing Staff Development and Continuing Education Needs of Library Support Staff," North Carolina Libraries, 48 (Winter 1990): 254-257. (With James Colt)
• Educating Black Librarians. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. 1991.
• "The Political Environment of Libraries in the University of North Carolina," North Carolina Libraries, 50 (Summer 1992): 87-90.
• "Survival of African American Library Schools: We Can Save Them!" In Stanton F. Biddle, editor. Culture Keepers: Enlightening and Empowering Our African American Librarians Communities. Proceedings of the First National Conference. Black Caucus of the American Library Association, September 4-6, 1992, Columbus, Ohio. Chicago: American Library Association, 1992, pp.44-48.
• "E.J. Josey: A True Friend of North Carolina Central University," In Ismail Abdullahi, editor. E. J. Josey. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1992, pp. 139-148.
• "Competency = Standards = Accreditation," Public Libraries, 33 (March/April 1994): 83-87.
• "Re-conceptualizing Preservation," North Carolina Libraries, 52 (Spring 1994), 3-5.
• "The Book Business: The Bookstore as an Alternative Funding Source for the Public Library," North Carolina Libraries, 53 (Spring 1995): 14-15.
• "Library Education: Cultural and Ethnic Diversity in the Curriculum," In Biddle, Stanton F., Culture Keepers II: Unity through Diversity. Proceedings of the Second National Conference of African American Librarians, Black Caucus of the American Library Association August 5-7, 1994, Newark, NJ: Black Caucus of the American Library Association, November 1995, pp. 69-72.
• “Preparing African American Librarians for a Multi-Dimensional Global Society” Neely, Teresa Y. editor. Culture Keepers III: Making Global Connections. Proceedings of the Third National Conference, Black Caucus of the American Library Association July 31- August 3, 1997, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Newark, NJ: Faxon, RoweCom Academic Services, 2000. pp. 293-297.

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