Ethel Auster Memorial

Welcome to the memorial page honoring the life and spirit of our friend and colleague Ethel Auster, who passed away in July 2005.

Please feel free to add your reflections below by clicking on "Edit Page" above. (Contact Caryn Anderson for the password - caryn.anderson@simmons.edu) Please insert your comments above the "Quick Wiki Instructions" at the bottom. Please also be sure to sign and date your entry. You may also add new pages for groups of comments or information, such as:

Ethel Auster (1942 - 2005)

From http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/

Professor Ethel Weiss Auster, AB, MLS, Ed.D., Professor at the Faculty of Information Studies, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on July 1, 2005.

For 23 years Prof. Auster was an esteemed and well-loved Professor at what became the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto. She served as Chair of Doctoral Studies for 15 years, guiding scores of students through the program - providing insight, research direction, and practical advice that made her a legend across the country. A brave, forthright, and committed colleague, she was a mainstay of the Faculty through a number of major changes and developments. She was also a frequent speaker at a variety of North American conferences, including those of the Canadian Library Association and the American Society for Information Science and Technology.

Prof. Auster's research dealt with libraries, management, and information use - covering such topics as the information-seeking behaviour of managers, the evaluation of online services, information dissemination, the retrenchment and downsizing of large academic libraries, and most recently the training and development needs of librarians.

The recipient of many awards, Prof. Auster was granted the Miles Blackwell Award for Outstanding Academic Librarian in June 2005 by the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries for her "outstanding national and international contribution to academic librarianship and library development." As noted in the citation, she "demonstrated this achievement through her formidable research and publishing record, in which her projects support the investigation of issues relating to academic librarians and academic libraries." The award also lauded her role as a spokesperson and leader who actively promoted academic libraries and librarianship in Canada, and the significant mentoring role she played in the careers of academic librarians.

During her career Prof. Auster published three books, co-authored two others, and wrote numerous scholarly articles. A reviewer praised her latest book, Downsizing in Academic Libraries, co-authored with Shauna Taylor (University of Toronto Press, 2004), as "ground-breaking" and "the most comprehensive survey of the impact of downsizing in Canada's university libraries." Another noted "the remarkable, even exemplary, clarity of thought behind the writing and structure." In addition, noting a property that endeared her to generations of colleagues and students, the reviewer pointed out that "refreshingly, Auster and Taylor's conclusion offers suggestions for improvement, reminding readers that 'economic downturns are part of the normal business cycle,' and concluding that the results from this study can help in getting it right the next time."

In addition to her own research, Prof. Auster served her community in many capacities: she was twice elected to the Governing Council of the University of Toronto, and over the past two years spent countless hours reviewing doctoral student award applications for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She had unfailing energy for doctoral students, many of whom were inspired by her forthright intellectual honesty, her unstinting regard for others, and her exacting scholarly standards. With many of them she formed lasting friendships.

Prof. Auster is survived by her son, David L. Auster, his wife Janis H. Auster, of New York City, and David's father Henry Auster, of Toronto. FIS is also proud to announce a doctoral student award in Prof. Auster's name, and is currently accepting donations for this important project. Ethel Auster made a true impact at the Faculty, and she will be tremendously missed.