Louise Noëlle Malclès

Louise Noëlle Malclès (20 September 1899 – 29 March 1977) was a French librarian, bibliographer and teacher who was a key figure in French librarianship and the author of one of the most important bibliographical works of the mid-20th century. She was one of the first notable French female library professionals, in a field which had been traditionally dominated by men. She was awarded the Legion of Honour for her immense contributions to the field of library science.

Academic work Louise Noëlle Malclès’ association with the Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne lasted from 1928 until 1962, where she worked as a teacher and practitioner in the field of bibliography. The latter was subdivided into either pure sciences, medicine and pharmacy or the humanities. Especially notable is that Malclès conceived of and wrote almost the entirety of the text herself, which increased her reputation as expert in bibliographies. Despite this, there were no supplements nor later editions issued.

Selected publications 1950: Les Sources du travail bibliographique 1954: Cours de Bibliographie: text for students studying archives and library science. 1956: La Bibliographie: history of bibliography, issued in three editions and translated into several languages. 1963: Manuel de bibliographie