Jean A Conochie

MBE BSc FLAA

Conferred 1967

Jean Athola Conochie was educated at the University of Western Australia. She entered librarianship in 1946 and was elected a professional member of the Library Association of Australia in 1952.

As in the case of other colleagues whom the Board has felt it to be not merely proper, but its duty, to recommend to Council as worthy of the Fellowhip, there is no substantive corpus of published evidence to support the claims of Jean A Conochie.

On the other hand, the Board is quite satisfied both in its own mind and as a result of its investigations that, in three separate respects, Miss Conochie has contributed notably to the practice of our profession in Australia. It is in no doubt that these contributions could be described as distinguished.

In the first place, there is a substantial body of opinion in Australia that Jean Conochie's personal contribution to the production of Scientific Serials in Australian Libraries has far outweighed what might properly have been required by her employers.

In the second place, the Board wishes unanimously to record the value to Australian librarianship of Miss Conochie's constructive service as a member of the Board. It is no accident that she should have been re-elected to it after her first term of service, and her wide variety of competence and experience has been of first importance at a time of change and development in the pattern of education for librarianship in Australia.

Finally, the Board has become aware of the extent to which Miss Conochie's advice is sought be many people in the State of Victoria on a wide range of professional matters.

The Board has no hesitation in commending Jean Athola Conochie to Council as a member of the Association who, in this variety of ways, has made a distinguished personal contribution to the practice of librarianship in Australia. It recommends that she is well worthy of the honour of the Association's Fellowship.