Librarian Jane Bannerman to Retire

Jane Bannerman has worked at College Library for almost as long as it has been open.  After 40 years of service, she will officially retire on August 31.  It’s impossible to describe her many contributions. Needless to say, Jane has done almost every possible job in College Library: she established library instruction for College Library in the 1970s and helped develop the campus-wide instruction program in the 1980s; she has coordinated reference services and circulation services; she has overseen security and building concerns; most recently she has also served as the Assistant Director.

Jane has also been active in campus academic staff concerns, serving as an Academic Staff Assembly representative and in leadership roles with the Madison Academic Staff Association. For the GLS, Jane also has had long-standing involvement with Librarians’ Assembly and the Equity Action committee. She has also played important roles in how the libraries support patrons with disabilities and the libraries’ sustainability efforts. Jane helped the Librarians’ Assembly create the Librarian-of-the-Year award, a recognition she herself earned in 2007. To quote former College Library Director, Donna Senzig, “Jane has a rockbed of principles that she has tirelessly advocated and worked to implement as part of the fabric of our libraries and our university. As a result, both College Library and the General Library System have benefited in so many ways.”

Jane often remarks that when friends ask her how she can continue to enjoy working in the same job after all these years, she replies that it’s easy because the work is continually changing; it’s never been the same job. Jane has managed to maintain a high level of dedication to College Library throughout its evolution that is truly inspirational to those of us who work closely with her.

There was an open house in College Library’s Room 1193 on Friday, August 24th, for a well-deserved celebration of Jane’s many accomplishments and contributions.  To view images of the event, please see our Flickr photostream.  To read an interview with Jane, please see the Libraries News & Events page.