I believe that some time ago we were asked about public library 'firsts' in
anticipation of the 150 year celebrations of UK public libraries next year.
How about this?
Waterloo-with-Seaforth (just up the coast from Liverpool) was not the first
public library authority to employ a woman chief, but they did so from early
on in their existence. In the 'Library World' for 1900/01 I have just found
the following comments in the note section about their Annual Report,
produced by Miss Edith G. Taylor.
'Miss Edith G. Taylor, the Librarian, has issued a very careful and
intelligently compiled catalogue, arranged according to Dewey's
classification. This is the first systematically classified catalogue
compiled by a woman librarian we have seen issued in this country in
connection with a Public Library, and it is not only an excellent example of
its class, but fairly puts to shame many much more ambitious dictionary
catalogues sent forth by male librarians with infinite blaring of trumpets'.
Nice one!
Chris B
Aberystwyth
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