Margaret E. Monroe

Margaret E. Monroe (1914-2004) served as Professor and Director of the Library School (now the Information School) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1963 until 1970. She was on the forefront of the movement to develop library services for persons and groups with special needs, such as the disadvantaged, institutionalized, and aged.

Education Monroe was born in New York City. She received a bachelor’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in librarianship from New York State College in Albany. She received a master’s degree in English and a doctorate from Columbia University.

Career She served in various capacities at the New York Public Library for thirteen years.

She was director of the American Heritage Project of the American Library Association from 1951 to 1954.

She was on the faculty of the Graduate School of Library Science at Rutgers University (1954-63). In 1962 she wrote the essay, "The Library's Collection in a Time of Crisis" which Wayne Wiegand characterized as "articulating a core principle grounding our current professional conviction that libraries serve as a cornerstone of democracy."

Monroe served as Professor and Director of the Library School at the University of Wisconsin – Madison from 1963 until 1970.

While Monroe was Director of the UW Library School, she initiated the Ph. D degree and an Advanced Studies Certificate. Major outside funding was received by the Library School for research on library services to adults. In 1970 she returned to full time teaching at the library school. Her work is noted for her focus on the library in the life of the user.

Monroe was a national leader in adult services in libraries and in 1985 the American Library Association established the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to library adult services. Monroe saw the library as an agent for change even before there were words to describe this concept, and her view of the democratic role of the library underscored practically every position she took.

She retired as Professor Emeritus in 1981.

Association contributions Monroe was president of the Adult Services Division of the American Library Association (ALA). She was chair of the Committee on Accreditation of ALA. She served on the Council of ALA.

She was president of the Association of American Library Schools (Now ALISE-Association for Library and Information Science Education).

She was active in the Wisconsin Library Association serving as chair of the Wisconsin Public Library Association and the Intellectual Freedom Committee.

Honors 2009-Inducted into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame at the Wisconsin Library Association Conference in Appleton, Wisconsin, October 22, 2009. 1985-American Library Association established the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award in 1985 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to library adult services. 1982-Festschrift in Monroe's Honor. . 1981- 1972-Beta Phi Mu Award for Distinguished Service to Education for Librarianship.

Selected publications