EDITORIAL NOTE 

by Noreen B. Blake 

In this final issue of the 20th century we sadly salute Anne 

Galler, long-time editor of Education Libraries. Her death has 

left an enormous gap in the lives of her family, friends, and 

colleagues. Those who watched her bravely struggle against a 

terminal illness admired her greatly. Not once did she complain. 

Courageous and dignified to the end, she set about to make her 

good-byes and to ensure that a l l  professional ends were 

methodically organized and tied up. If life were fair, Anne would 

have been allowed more years to enjoy her family and her work, 

but it  was not to be. At her funeral it was stated that she wished 

"to be remembered as she was." All of us whose lives she touched 

will remember and miss her warmth, diligence, insight, wisdom, 

and the boundless, cheery vitality with which she approached 

projects and challenges .  Her constructive ideas brought a 

significant contribution to the library profession and were reflected 

in the many awards she received. Fittingly, in June 2000, at the 

SLA Conference in  Philadelphia, her colleagues will bestow on 

her a deserving honour. She is to be inducted for distinguished 

service in the Hall of Fame of the Special Libraries Association. 

In our opening pages, Carol Mitchell, former assistant editor of 

this journal, remembers Anne in a personal tribute. 

Staff Development in the form of training and retraining at 

all levels of technological competencies is more vital than ever in 

today's electronic environment. Outmoded methods arise all too 

frequently. Libraries must have a mandate for change and offer 

opportunities for both professional and non-professional staff to 

participate in development activities. In her commentary, Joanne 

Locke provides a background on staff development needs. 

Examples of how two U.S .  university libraries are dealing with 

these urgent needs are presented for us by B etsy Anthony, 

Education Library Head at the University of Virginia, and by co­

authors Suzanne M. Brown and Trudi DiTrolio of the University 

of Florida. Both articles examine the strategies and methods that 

these universities are implementing in order to meet ongoing 

challenges facing librmies today. 

Reference works selected by Gladys Dratch and Deborah 

Garson for the New and Forthcoming column reflect current topics 

in education. Ranging from teacher guides and handbooks to desk 

reference tools, educators from primary to university level will 

find them useful and interesting. ERIC's journal article citations 

focus on topics related to staff development. Readers m·e pointed 

to a wide variety of resources i ncluding media l ibrary  

development, quality l ibrary management, and perspectives on 

technological training for information specialists. In News from 

Eric, we can always expect the newest advances in the field of 

education information to be covered by Eric Plotnick and his team 

at the Eric Clem·inghouse. We are given helpful directions to new 

developments on its projects and Web sites. The Clearinghouse is 

happy to respond to any queries on its resources and publications 

either by phone or e-mail. 

This issue sees the debut of a new column, Resources on the 

Net, which will alert readers to Web sites related to the theme of 

the journal .  Anne Wade brings to this task a background of 

expertise from her experience as information specialist in the field 

of librm·y research and teaching. I am certain that readers will 

find it helpful and informative. We look forward to her future 

annotated selections. 

Our popular Book Review section contains a potpourri of 

books based on a variety of educational topics of interest to the 

reviewers. We hope to expand this section and encourage inquiries 

from our regulm· subsctibers, readers and contributors about books 

available for reviewing for upcoming issues. The editors are happy 

to receive your e-mail requests and to supply you with further 

information. 

At the onset of this new millennium Education Libraries 

hopes to continue to deliver new ideas and valuable educational 

information. 

EDU CATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos.2/3 



IN MEMORIAM s 

FAREWELL TO ANNE 

-A Personal Perception 

Recently, I was about to send an information sheet to a new reviewer for Education Libraries 
when I noticed that queries were to be sent to Anne Galler, Editor. I reached for a container of 
whiteout and deleted her name. That is when I realized, despite having attended her funeral, that 
Anne was really gone. There would be no more phone calls starting with "Hi, it's me. When are we 
going to have lunch?" There would be no more confidences exchanged or aggravation shared, no 
more discussions of the best way to edit an article and no more announcements of the birth of a new 
grandchild or exchange of the joy the sayings of grandchildren bring. 

Those who knew Anne felt her warmth and enthusiasm in every word. Anne was the most 
vibrant, energetic, dynamic person I have ever known. Her interest in people was far- reaching. A 
dedicated teacher, she took great pride in her students. She used her considerable networking skills 
to find positions for graduates of the Library Studies Program, and went to great lengths to help if 
she knew that someone was in financial straits. She possessed great generosity of spirit as well as of 
kind. Occasionally, she would call me to tell me of an opening to see if I was interested in submitting 
an application. When applying for my current position I asked my prospective employer if the position 
would be posted within the university and was told it would not be. I ventured to ask if this meant 
that I had the job. The reply was, "If you 're good enough for Anne Galler, you're good enough for 
me." 

"Librarians, by the nature of their affiliation with public, academic and cultural institutions, like 
museum curators and information center directors, must have an international outlook." (Education 
Libraries 20: 112) Thus Anne started an article in 1996, quoting from Mohammed M. Amman's 
Innovation for Information: International Contributions to Librarianship, without realizing that she 
was the epitome of the consummate international librarian. Anne was passionate about the need for 
l ibraries and the need for librarians. Her record speaks for itself; she was involved with many 
organizations and served on many committees. Seen on paper, they represent an impressive list but 
with Anne at the helm, they were so much more. 

Much of the above is known, so here I remember Anne on a more personal level and try to 
capture for you the essence of the Anne I knew. I first met Anne in 1986. As a potential mature 
student into Concordia's Library Studies Program, I had an appointment with the director. All I had 
been told was that she was a small, lively, red-haired woman and that I would like her. I sat nervously 
trembling in the hall outside her office until I was called. Then we chatted like old friends for over 
forty-five minutes until she realized that others were waiting. I was hooked. 

Anne always made you want to do your best. For my final paper in the program, she assigned 
my topic, something usually left to the student. She wanted research on the librarian's image and to 
know how many famous people had started out as librarians. She particularly wanted to find women 
in the field. I could not find any at that time. Ironically, a few weeks after her death, I discovered, 
while reading a student's paper, that Audre Lorde, a well-known feminist writer, had started out as a 
librarian. 



While working as Co-ordinator for Library Studies Distance Education Program, a brainchild 
of Anne's which began as a pilot program for inmates of Canadian penitentaries, her office was 
within earshot of my desk. Anne maintained an open-door policy. She wished to be visible and 
available. Her phone rang frequently and I never ceased to marvel at the enthusiastic greeting she 
gave to each caller. She exuded warmth and energy. She rarely seemed to have a bad day. She cared 
about what was happening in the lives of everyone around her. She took great interest and concern 
in their situations, whether there were health problems, j oyous occasions, professional or other 
problems. After her many trips, whether for IFLA or other conferences, or for vacations, she would 
always bring back a memento for her colleagues and friends. We knew that when Anne returned 
from her annual visit to Switzerland there would be Lindt chocolate bars for all .  In her leisure time, 
for want of a better word, Anne crocheted exquisitely and gave beautiful doilies as gifts. 

Anne greeted the arrival of technology in her workplace with a passion and with the assistance 
of her colleagues who had expertise in the field, she became computer literate in no time. She 
enjoyed checking her e-mail each morning, keeping in touch with her colleagues and friends around 
the world. 

Anne was an extremely hard worker; spending much of her time planning and organizing her 
many endeavors whether it be the writing of conference papers, the compiling of the SLA Directory 
of the Eastern Canada Section or the devising of a manifesto for school libraries. She had confidence 
in her colleagues' abilities and made them feel an equal part of her team. For several years I was 
assistant editor of Education Libraries. Often when I received material from her, she had already 
proofread it herself. She was a perfectionist and would be upset if any errors were found on the 
pages of the publication. Her energy was boundless and even after an overseas trip, she rarely showed 
fatigue and would put in a full day's work. 

It is hard to accept the fact that she is not on vacation and that her dynamic energy must now be 
carried on by others and in doing so, honour the profession she loved so much. She has left a fitting 
legacy. I hope that we can live up to it. 

Carol R. Mitchell 
Documentalist, Simone de Beauvoir Institute 
Concordia University 
Montreal, Quebec 

EDU CATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3