Brooke E. Sheldon, Dean and library educator passed away on February 11,
2013 after a long and courageous battle with uterine cancer. She was born
in Lawrence, Massachusetts on August 29, 1931, but spent most of her
childhood in her beloved Nova Scotia – that “Kingdom by the Sea.” She was
preceded in death by her parents, Leonard Hadley, Sr. and Elsie Ann
Sutherland Earle, her husband, George, and brother Leonard Earle, Jr. and
sister-in-law Eleanor (Mrs. John) Earle.
She is survived by her brother John and her sister, Barbara (Mrs. Eugene
Hunter) and her sister-in-law Charlotte (Mrs. Leonard Earle), sons and
their families, Scott and Susan Sheldon and Stephen and Maria Sheldon, and
grandchildren George Matthew, Brooke Barrera, and Skyler Sutherland Sheldon
and many nieces and nephews.
She attended Cambridge High and Latin School and earned her BA degree from
Acadia University in Nova Scotia, her MLS degree from Simmons University,
and her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She began her library career
as a young adult librarian at the Detroit Public Library and then became
branch librarian of the Albuquerque Public Library. She also held positions
at the Santa Fe Public Library as Children’s Coordinator and then as Head
of the Children’s Department at the New Mexico State Library until she
became Director of Library Development. She was Head of Technical Services
and Training at the Alaska State Library, Associate Director for Training
for the Leadership Training Institute at Florida State University under a
grant for the U.S. Department of Education.
She began her library education career as Dean, School of Library and
Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University and was Acting Provost. She
accepted a position as Dean and Professor at the Graduate School of Library
and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin. After her
retirement from Austin, for three years she served as Interim Director and
Professor, School of Information Resources and Library Science at the
University of Arizona. She continued teaching in the Executive MLIS program
at San Jose State University and ended her teaching career as Visiting
Scholar and Lecturer, The University of Alberta, School of Library and
Information Studies.
Dr. Sheldon received many honors including Distinguished Alumni Awards from
Simmons College and The University of Pittsburgh. She was granted a Doctor
of Civil Laws (Hon.) from Acadia University. The Brooke E. Sheldon Endowed
Professorship in Management and Leadership was established at the
University of Texas, Austin. She was granted the Outstanding Lecturer Award
from San Jose State University, and the Professional Service Award from the
Association of Library and Information Science Educators, and the Library
Leadership Award from the Arizona Library Association.
Her offices in professional associations included President of the American
Library Association and during this term of office she traveled throughout
the U.S. and abroad. She chaired ALA’s Committee on Accreditation and was
co-founder of the Continuing Professional Education Round Table in the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. She
served on the Board of the Tocker Foundation and was an advisor and Board
Member of the American Library in Paris.
As an advocate for diversity, Dr. Sheldon recruited and supported
minorities for the profession through her successful efforts to get funding
as well as to hire minority faculty. She opened her home in Austin for
those attending the first national conference of REFORMA and was always so
supportive of the activities and efforts of REFORMA.
She has been listed in *A Biographical Directory of Librarians in the
United States and Canada*, *Who’s Who in Library and Information Services*,
*Director of Library and Information Professionals*, and *Who’s Who in
America*.
Her list of publications include: *Interpersonal Skills, Theory
and Practice: The Librarians’ Guide to Becoming a Leader*, *The Portable
MLIS: Insights from the Experts* (with Ken Haycock), *Leaders in Libraries:
Styles and Strategies for Success*, *Delivering Lifelong Professional
Education Across Space and Time* (with Blanche Woolls).
Her overwhelming characteristic was her strength of personality vis a vis
her friends, students, colleagues, and mentees. She expressed her heartfelt
thanks to the many students and colleagues who recently wrote to her
describing how her leadership and mentorship was instrumental in advancing
their careers.
Her love of travel was interwoven with her professional interests and
demands as she gave speeches and consulted in numerous countries including:
China, Taiwan, England, France, Argentina, Romania, Sweden, Germany, and
Japan. One of her great pleasures in retirement was to travel with friends
to exotic locations around the world.
She was known for hosting spectacular parties for friends, students, and
colleagues garnering her a reputation as a fun loving, free spirit who had
an instant rapport with anyone she met.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers contributions in her memory be
sent to the Brooke E. Sheldon Endowed Professorship in Management and
Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin and the New Mexico Library
Foundation.
