"The statistics she has provided have been quoted by millions and have helped to define and dramatize the issues facing libraries of all type." - ALA Executive Director - Keith Michael Fiels (2002-2016).
Dr. Mary Jo Lynch - 1939 -2020
"Mary Jo's fingerprints are on almost every major piece of library statistical information produced in the last two decades … Her contributions have supported ALA's advocacy [and] media and educational efforts … as we have worked to communicate the value of libraries and librarians. The statistics she has provided have been quoted by millions and have helped to define and dramatize the issues facing libraries of all types."
- ALA Executive Director - Keith Michael Fiels (2002-2016).
Dr. Mary Jo Lynch (1939-2020) served as Director of the American Library Association Office for Research and Statistics from 1978 to 2003, during which time she was recognized as a national authority on library statistics.
She received a BA from Marygrove College, an AMLS degree from the University of Michigan, and an MA in English from the University of Detroit.
Mary Jo Lynch served as reference librarian at the University of Detroit from 1962-1969, and at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) from 1969-1971. She was an assistant professor in the School of Library Science at the University of Michigan from 1971-1973.
From 1973-1976 she attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey where she received a PhD in Library Science.
From 1976-2003, Dr. Lynch worked at the American Library Association (ALA) in Chicago, IL, where she served as Director of the ALA Office for Research and Statistics.
She was a leading collaborator (with Charles R. McClure, Amy Owen, Eleanor Jo Rodger , Nancy A. Van House, and Douglas L. Zweizig) in the development of the Public Library Association's Public Library Development Program, including co-authoring Planning and Role-Setting for Public Libraries: A Manual of Options and Procedures and Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual of Standardized Procedures (both 1987) and designing the annual Public Library Data Service Statistical Report (from 1989).
Dr. Lynch was a major force in the establishment of the Federal-State Cooperative System (FSCS) for Public Library Data-a collaboration of the National Center for Education Statistics and the U. S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (today's Public Library Survey (PLS) project at the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services)-and served on its Steering Committee for 20 years.
She received Distinguished Alumna Awards from the University of Michigan School of Library Sciences, where she earned an A.M.L.S. degree, and Rutgers University where she earned a Ph.D. Library Science.
Selected Publications
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Research Questions for the Twenty-first Century." Library Trends 51, no. 4 (Spring 2003): 499–502.2002
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Compared to What?: Or, Where to Find the Stats." American Libraries, September 1999, 48–49.1998.
Lynch, Mary Jo, and Keith Curry Lance. "State Library Agencies: What Do the Numbers Tell Us?" In The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac, 42nd ed. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker, 1997.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Using Public Libraries: What Makes a Difference?" American Libraries, November 1997, 64–65.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Measuring Change in Academic Libraries: NCES Starts Something New." College & Research Libraries News 58, no. 9 (February 1997): 622.1996.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "How Wired Are We?: New Data on Library Technology." College & Research Libraries News, February 1996, 97–99.1995.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "School Library Media Centers: Current and Future Statistics." School Library Media Quarterly, Summer 1995, 251–254.
Lynch, Mary Jo, Pamela Kramer, and Ann Weeks. Public School Library Media Centers in 12 States: Reports of the NCLIS/ALA Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. National Commission on Libraries & Information Science, 1994.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "New National Numbers on Academic Libraries." College & Research Libraries News, November 1994, 630–631.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Access Technology in Academic Libraries." College & Research Libraries News, April 1992, 243–244.1991.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "New, National, and Ready to Fly: The Federal State Cooperative System (FSCS) for Public Library Data." Public Libraries, November/December 1991, 358–361.1990.
Lynch, Mary Jo, and Arthur Young, eds. Academic Libraries: Research Perspectives. Chicago: American Library Association, 1990.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Faculty Involvement in ALA." Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 29, no. 2 (Fall 1988): 99–107.
McClure, Charles R., Amy Owen, Douglas L. Zweizig, Mary Jo Lynch, and Nancy A. Van House. Planning & Role Setting for Public Libraries: A Manual of Options and Procedures. Chicago: American Library Association, 1987.
McClure, Charles R., Douglas L. Zweizig, Nancy A. Van House, and Mary Jo Lynch. "Output Measures: Myths, Realities, and Prospects." Public Libraries, Summer 1986, 49–52.
Van House, Nancy A., Mary Jo Lynch, Charles R. McClure, Douglas L. Zweizig, and Eleanor Jo Rodger. Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual of Standardized Procedures. 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1987
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Measurement and Evaluation." ALA Yearbook [1983]: 175–176.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Research in Library Reference/Information Service." Library Trends, Winter 1983, 401–420.
Lynch, Mary Jo, comp. Sources of Library Statistics, 1972–1982. Chicago: American Library Association, 1983.1982
Lynch, Mary Jo. Library Data Collection Handbook. Chicago: American Library Association, 1981.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Public Library Planning: A New Approach." Library Journal, May 15, 1980, 1131–1134.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Reference Interviews in Public Libraries." Library Quarterly 48, no. 2 (April 1978): 119–142.
Lynch, Mary Jo. "Educational, Cultural, and Recreational Services of the Public Library for Adults." Library Quarterly 48, no. 4 (1978): 476–487.
ALA Survey of Librarian Salaries (multiple editions, 1982–2003/2004; e.g., 1989, 1994, 1999, 2001 editions explicitly credited to Lynch).
- Public Library Data Service Statistical Report (designed and contributed to from 1989).
- Various annual "Library Statistics: A Current Review" columns and contributions to ALA Yearbook, Bowker Annual, etc. (1983–1990s).
Sources
Lynch, Mary Jo | American Libraries Magazine
Memorial Resolution Honoring Mary Jo Lynch
American Library Association Archives. ; Finding Aid for Mary Jo Lynch Papers, 1978-2003 ; Office for Research Director Mary Jo Lynch Papers, 1978-2003
Mary Lynch Obituary (1939 - 2020) - Ann Arbor, MI - The Detroit News
Submitted by Kathleen de la Peña McCook
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In honor of the Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary of ALA) in 2026, the Library History Round Table is hosting Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026. This collage of tributes seeks to honor librarians who died between 1976-2026. The tributes are published to ALA Connect, a digital memorial on LHRT News & Notes, and ALA's institutional repository (ALAIR).
We invite tributes from anyone about any library worker who passed away between 1976-2026. To submit a tribute, please use the form at https://lhrt.news/librarians-we-have-lost-sesquicentennial-memories-1976-2026-2/
For questions or comments, please reach out to Dr. Kathleen McCook (kmccook@usf.edu) or Brett Spencer (dbs21@psu.edu).
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Brett Spencer
Reference Librarian
Thun Library, Penn State Berks
He/Him/His
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