AARL

Obituary: James O'Brien BA MS (Louisiana State) AALIA, 1943-2002

James O'Brien was a distinguished librarian who had a personal philosophy of librarianship and with that a deep belief in the importance of libraries in today's society. He gave life to this philosophy in the libraries he led and in the relationships he forged.

Prior to coming to Australia he had held senior positions in major university libraries in the US, including the University of Maryland, and in Greece. Initially appointed as serials librarian at the University of New England in 1972, he went to South Australia as head of Bibliographic Services and subsequently chief librarian at the Salisbury College of Advanced Education. He brought with him a focus on client services which was quite new and different in Australia at the time. This encompassed a commitment to cooperation amongst libraries for the benefit of the users, a commitment to reciprocal borrowing and a commitment to reader services, particularly reader education. He was keenly aware of the lack of collection resources in College of Advanced Education Libraries in the 1970s, and at the same time was committed to the principles of open access and lifelong learning. He was also active in the then LAA campaign to lobby the Dunstan government for funding for public libraries and later, when he lived in North Sydney, in the local government referendum for funding for the Stanton Library.

At Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education, where he was Head of the Resources Centre from 1977-1989, James created a library which was renowned for both its service and its emphasis on the needs of its clients and, especially, the importance of reader education. He embraced all that new technology had to offer where he considered it to be appropriate and of benefit to the user. Warmly regarded by both clients and staff, James created a welcoming environment and built strong collections to support the academic programs of the College. As chair of the Courses Accreditation Committee of the Academic Board, he ensured that the programs were properly resourced and of the highest quality.

From 1991 to 1999, James was the director, Library and Information Services, at the Macarthur Institute of Higher Education, later the University of Western Sydney (Macarthur). His library was known for the demonstrated efficiency of technical processing as well as the excellence of client services. During his tenure, it was the first library to pilot the 3M self-charge system, an Australian-developed system which has subsequently been adopted across Australia and internationally.

Throughout his career, James O'Brien demonstrated his strengths in developing collections, including encouraging the donation of excellent resources, and his talents as a motivator and encourager of library staff. He created happy and supportive environments for work and study and demonstrated leadership by example. He was loved and very much respected wherever he went. A kind, good and caring person, he went out of his way to make people around him know they mattered. He also told wonderful stories wonderfully. Since his retirement, James has been missed as a colleague; now, he will be missed even more.

AARL thanks Alex Byrne, Linda Gatfield, Janine Schmidt and Rona Wade for contributing to this obituary.