I never met my Great Aunt Margaret but that does not mean she did not have a great deal of influence on my becoming a librarian. When I was gifted a copy of her book The New Library Key, it was my first exposure to really understanding how libraries work and what librarians do. This book of library instruction was popular enough to see several editions but is just the tip of the iceberg of Margaret's work in the library field.
Margaret was one of 17 graduates of the 1926 Drexel Graduate School of Library Science class, the first class to receive graduate-level degrees. From there, she worked for 20 years at Montclair State University, innovating library instruction and making sure it was incorporated into every course. This interest led her to an Assistant Professor position at her alma mater, Drexel University.
In something of a career pivot, Margaret leaves the familiarity of academic libraries and southeast Pennsylvania/central New Jersey for a job as a public librarian in Baltimore in 1952. At a time when the demographics of Baltimore were rapidly changing and library leadership was not always sure how to meet community needs, the ever-curious and eager to learn Margaret was the perfect person to rise to the challenge. She served as a branch librarian for the rest of her career with the Enoch Pratty Free Library.
- By Mark Conner
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In honor of the Sesquicentennial next year (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 and a digital memorial on LHRT News & Notes.
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. 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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