proACTive 243: April 2004

Vale Warren Horton

23 June 1938 to 25 November 2003

Over 150 people attended the commemoration for Warren Horton on 25 March at the National Library of Australia [NLA]. Friends and library colleagues gathered to celebrate a man who in many ways was larger than life, and who indeed made his mark in Australian library history.

Warren was first recruited by the State Library of New South Wales as a mere boy. Dagmar Schmidmaier, then the state librarian and CEO, told us that, starting in March 1957, he worked in the information service sections of the General Reference Library and the Mitchell Library. He became deputy state librarian of NSW in 1975 and then state librarian of Victoria in 1981, staying there until he was offered the post of director general of the national library in 1985. Dagmar remembered him as a very strong and positive character, keen to develop the professional skills of colleagues and to develop more relevant services. Justice Rae Else-Mitchell had been president of the NSW Library Council when Warren was deputy state librarian of NSW, and had many warm memories of him from that time.

Earle Gow, librarian of La Trobe University, provided a perspective on Warren's contribution to library co-operation. His leadership of AACOBS, ALIC and then his determination in the creation of ACLIS shaped the discussion of strategic planning for major library issues through two decades. Earle remembered Warren for his strength and determination to set an agenda across all library sectors.

Eric Wainwright was deputy librarian of the NLA for much of the period that Warren was the Director General. He remembered a strong man, able to transform organisations to become more aligned with the service needs of the time, rather than a man of grand visions.

Alex Byrne spoke of Warren's international contribution to IFLA, his constructive advice to those at its helm and the path he steered to put Australian librarianship on the global map through IFLA.

Finally Ian McCallum spoke of Warren's enormous contribution to the new generation of librarians through Aurora - the impact of which will be with the profession through forthcoming decades.

The overall picture that emerged was of a political man, deeply committed to developing better, stronger and more service-oriented organisations. His contribution will long be remembered by all those whose lives he touched.

All those present expressed their gratitude to Jan Fullerton for hosting such a special event.

Roxanne Missingham