Constance Mabel Winchell

Constance Mabel Winchell (November 2, 1896 – May 23, 1983) was an American librarian. Winchell worked at Columbia University for thirty-eight years before retiring in 1962. She is best remembered for producing the seventh and eighth editions of the Guide to Reference Books. In 1999, American Libraries included Constance Winchell in a list of 100 most influential individuals in the field of library and information science.

Early life Constance Winchell was born on November 2, 1896. Her family lived in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tragically, Winchell's father died early, when Constance was only seven years old. This left her mother as the sole provider for Winchell and her three brothers. Despite these difficulties, Winchell's education was never jeopardized.

Winchell's family valued learning and education. Many of her relatives were college graduates and scholars, despite the relative rarity of obtaining an advanced degree in the early twentieth century. Winchell's essay was well received upon its publication in 1930, and was recognized by many librarians to be one of the definitive books on interlibrary loans for many years. The books included in the Guide were about many different subjects, and they were in a variety of languages.