Brooke Sheldon
Dr. Sheldon has served in a wide range of roles within librarianship. After working as Special Services Librarian for the U.S. Air Force and for the Army she worked for the Albuquerque Public Library as a Branch Librarian the Santa Fe Public Library as Adult Services Librarian and the New Mexico State Library as Head of Library Development. She was Associate Director of the Leadership Training Institute U.S. Office of Education and Head of Technical Services and Training Alaska State Library. She was Professor and Dean of the School of Library and Information Studies Texas Woman's University Denton Texas where she was also Acting Provost 1979-80. More recently she served as Dean at the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Library and Information Science from 1991-1996. She is a former President of the American Library Association and served as chair of its Committee on Accreditation. I would never have obtained a Master of Library Science degree if it wasn't for Dr. Brooke Sheldon. In 1960 when I completed my degree at the University of Arizona the University had just started its library school. I had fallen in love with library science after taking an undergraduate course in it at the University of Arizona. I wanted to continue on for a master's degree at the library school but unfortunately for me my husband was transferred and with a new baby I couldn't stay to attend the library school. For many years after leaving Tucson, I wanted to go to library school and get a Master of Library Science degree, but conditions were never right until 1980 when Texas Women's University's Library School under the leadership of Dr. Brooke Sheldon offered a course on alternate weekends and summers culminating in a Master of Library Science degree. After talking to Dr. Sheldon, I realized this was my chance to obtain the degree and my life's goal. It was a hassle for me because we lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, and I had to take a plane to Dallas and drive to Denton Texas every other weekend and for two summers. With Dr. Sheldon's support and encouragement I did obtain my Master of Library Science degree in 1982 after 22 years of wanting to go to library school. Dr. Sheldon left Texas Women's University and became Dean of the Library School at the University of Texas and eventually Dean of the Library School at the University of Arizona until her retirement in June 2004. Dr. Sheldon is one of the smartest women I know and is truly a woman to be honored.