Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A Major Blow to Music Librarianship

I know I'm at work, and I could get in major trouble for this, but I feel like I need to put this out there. Carol June Bradley, noted Music Librarian and a founding director of the UB Music Library, has passed away. Now to me this does not hold as much weight as it does for my co-workers, but I'm still definitely feeling the impact. The air in the library has become heavy, as those who knew her try to process the news and deal with their grief. A notice has been sent out to the MLA listserv, and I'm sure it will be abuzz today with recollections from her students, colleagues and friends. Her presence will be felt in the UB Music Library forever.

All I know if Ms. Bradley is that she was a force to be reckoned with in the classroom, and in the library. Her research into the history of Music Librarianship gave us an identity and a position in the world. Her book American Music Librarianship is unprecedented, nor has it been matched by any publication since. Reading that book gave me a sense of purpose and a historical basis upon which I rest all of my knowledge of the field, and for that I will be eternally grateful to Ms. Carol June Bradley.