Janice Farrelly’s Speech at the Farewell
Katharine (spelt the Russian way), known to most of us as Kate, retires today – a very significant event. It is a milestone –the beginning of another stage of life with more change; goodbyes and hellos, adjustments, opportunities and adventures.
I am Janice Farrelly and I have worked with Kate for 12 years here in the University of Canterbury Library Interloans Team; and I get to say a few words about this generous, talented, modest, hard-working lady.
I would like to start by looking back at some of the milestones for Kate along the way to where we all are today – her guests at this appetising spread. And apologies to Kate if I get any of this very brief and incomplete overview, wrong.
Kate began her paid employment in libraries in 1961 in the Christchurch Public Library system. While there she completed her NZLA Certificate; leaving in 1966 to work here at the University of Canterbury Library in the cataloguing department, as it was then, where she worked for 2 years. She married and raised two daughters (I am sure of the sequence but not of the dates for these important happenings), returning to library work in 1976 for the Waimairi District Council where she was employed until 1988. By this time she had also completed her University of Canterbury Bachelor of Arts degree (1987) – so she was no slug then either!
In the late 1980s Mrs Shea, Deputy University Librarian here at UC, wrote Kate a reference based on her contribution to the UC Library in the late sixties – she wrote that Kate had “high professional ability, tremendous energy and a warm friendly personality” – so then as now the Kate that we all know and appreciate.
It was in January 1989 Kate that returned to work for the University of Canterbury Library and now, in January 2009 she leaves knowing that she has done an excellent job facilitating valuable research. During those 20 years Kate has been the Interloans guru, our super sleuth, sourcing esoteric items for our learned and learning, teaching and taught, group of staff and students.
There has been a lot of change in those 20 years, and it continues as we speak: Interloans has been a team in the Reference Department, then with Lending and Reserve, a standalone unit, part of Collection Services, part of Public Services and soon to work more closely with the Information Services Team again – so full circle – around the Library in 20 years!!
In addition to applying her exceptional professional skills and high standards to the Interloans service Kate has contributed to:
• all Library users through continuing her shifts on the Information Help Desk
• the wider profession through her membership with LIANZA and involvement in the Regional Aoraki committee over many years
• and to library staff through her participation in the Library’s OOC Prevention and Awareness Programme
On a personal note I would like to say how much I have respected and appreciated Kate’s professional skills and work ethic. I have enjoyed working with Kate – the Interloans workroom will not be the same without you!!
I am sure that you will all join with me in thanking Kate for everything that she has done for the Library and the University – and in wishing her all the very best for a happy and healthy retirement.
Now a few momentos from your Library friends and colleagues.
Kate’s Farewell Speech
Farewell speech
Tena koutou katoa. Welcome everyone and a special welcome to Dick Hlavac and Bob Stewart.
Recently when I mentioned that it was almost 20years since I had returned to the University of Canterbury library, Gail replied that time flies when you’re having fun. While it hasn’t all been fun, there has been a lot of fun.
I entered the library world at 9am on 27 March 1961, at the Canterbury Public library, 109 Cambridge Terrace, where it was exciting to venture through the glass doors beyond the children’s library which had been my childhood world.
Surprisingly a sophisticated punch card issue system was in place, thanks to the innovative librarian, Ron O’Reilly. (I did not have to master copying borrowers’ numbers on to cards until the 1970s)
We wore smocks of course made in Sanderson fabric. Only one measurement was required for our smocks. The man who measured us seemed very happy in his job. Later a smock was to hide my pregnancy for six months. (Everyone was very surprised).
After about four years in Circulation I moved upstairs to Reference where Edward Jackson reigned. Mr Jackson was the quintessential Englishman, and I still remember his quizzical expression when I asked him what the words Besame mucho meant. ( I was a fan of Connie Francis who had released a record of Spanish songs) “Kiss me” came the clipped response.
After I had returned from my OE in 1966, Mrs Shirley Shea, the deputy librarian, offered me a choice of two library positions at the University of Canterbury : one in the Engineering library at Ilam and one in cataloguing at the old town site (where the restaurant Annies is now). I chose the latter as I felt as an engaged person the clientele at the Engineering library, the only attraction, wouldn’t be necessary. It was also good to follow Dorothea Brown from CP to the town site. Later she gave me a job at Waimairi District libraries (I didn’t actually have a job interview until 1987) after which she became the first woman Christchurch City librarian.
Oliver Chandler, head of Cataloguing, made sure that I learnt how to write numbers correctly. We played the card game 500 at afternoon tea in a turret across the courtyard, and we were terrified by the Acquisitions librarian threatening to run us through with a catalogue rod. (There’s a lot to be said for online cataloguing).
I began this position with instructions from Mrs Shea : Don’t get pregnant. I left two years later after having done so, with two more instructions, this time about child rearing. (I was married by this stage).
And so twenty years later, it was back to the University of Canterbury in 1989, to Interloans in the Reference Department where Robert Erwin and Janette were in charge. It was an exciting time to arrive, just before Interloans went online in NZBN in April.
Typical of the requests we received for journal articles were : How to have a dialog with a dinosaur, On skinning a dinosaur, I knew who I was when I got up this morning, and A report on a nude marathon. All these requests were from Christchurch libraries, while someone in Hamilton wanted to know How to read your newspaper and eat it after.
Of course there have been huge unimaginable changes in Interloans, not to mention the entire library world, over twenty years. The current interloan request number has just passed my telephone number.
However in particular I remember the defining moment at the Help desk when I first heard the word “Google” spoken by a young woman student. The cricket term ‘googly’ came to mind. Now I feel anxiety when I am separated from Google.
In 1996 I entered but did not win the OCLC essay contest : ‘What the OCLC online Union catalog means to me’. However the essays were published in a monograph which is held in this library, that is unless it is being sold for $2 on Level 2.
I ask you to please support our professional organization LIANZA. I very much enjoyed the four years I spent on the local committee, even or in spite of organizing a full day’s seminar for cataloguers. I am grateful to the librarians who organized a memorable weekend stay at Takahanga marae in Kaikoura. (We were literally enveloped in the welcoming arms of our hosts and slept under twinkling stars in the sky ceiling. This year of course the national conference is being held in Christchurch, and I appreciate how much time and effort our colleagues put into this on our behalf. I remember, many years ago, attending a public lecture held during a library conference, which was given by a bookseller, of Hay on Wye, the town of books in Wales. At question time, a cataloguer asked how he catalogued his books. By size, of course, came the answer : there was a sharp collective intake of breath.
Speaking of librarians I came across the second edition of this book : Revolting librarians redux and was captivated by the chapter by C.M.Stupegia, A librarian’s suicide note. She had found that library school did not teach her everything : For example, as a supervisor what do you do if you suspect that the person you are supervising is sleeping on the job because you can see the indentation of the desk on their face? And how do you answer this reference question : My cat died three weeks ago and has been buried in the back yard. I would like to know how to performa an autopsy on the cat. (You will be pleased to hear that this chapter was written during a moment of crisis of faith and she has recovered nicely). She lives by the credo Librarians unite, exhorting us to showcase our talents, abilities and greatness.
Librarianship was not my first career choice : I wanted to be a police woman. But I can think of no other career in which I could have been so challenged and fulfilled, and made such wonderful and lifelong friends not all of whom are librarians. I will miss you terribly. My morning and afternoon teas colleagues are very special.
Thank you Janice for the kind words which I hope you have said.
There is a time for every purpose under heaven, and now is the time to say goodbye.
Farewell also to NUC pre 56 on Level 3, may you always be here and your precious pages continue to be turned.I wish you all well and hand over my work to Sue and the Interloans team with confidence, and swan off into the sunset with Bob.
