Library Staff News

a. Mary Engle Retiring

Mary Engle has announced her intention to retire as of September 1, 2003, after 24 years working on UC systemwide library automation projects at the Office of the President.  Hired by the Division of Library Automation (DLA) in 1979 after completing her MLS at Berkeley, Mary filled a number of roles in her UC career. She managed the internal systems documentation group, staffed the Computer Files Committee (a joint committee of the Collection Development Cte and Heads of Public Services), served as editor and photographer for the DLA Bulletin, and worked for over a decade on special projects for DLA Director Clifford Lynch. She was a major contributor to the NISO Z39.80 standard on bibliographic downloading formats as chair of the NISO Z39.80 Committee, and advised the UC community on downloading from Melvyl databases through the DLA Bulletin and other forums.

In the 90s, Mary did the lion’s share of work for the Computer Files Committee–researching content and negotiating with database producers before they knew how to sell data files to libraries.  She was well known by vendors and UC librarians for these skills long before there was a CDL or any library consortium. As a result, Shared Content had an instant, experienced staff when the CDL was formed in 1998.  More recently, she negotiated favorable terms for all of the A&I databases recently transitioned to other platforms. Since moving to southern California last fall, Mary continued on a part-time basis in her primary role until a recruitment was complete, graciously oriented and introduced her successor, and completed several projects for Shared Content.

We will have an opportunity to wish her well in early September.