Brooke E. Sheldon was an American librarian and educator who served as the president of the American Library Association from 1983 to 1984.
Career
Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Sheldon also grew up in Nova Scotia. She graduated from Cambridge High and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts before returning to Nova Scotia to attend Acadia University as an undergraduate. She earned her master's degree in library science from Simmons College and a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. She worked as a librarian at the Detroit Public Library, the Albuquerque Public Library, the Santa Fe Public Library, and at the New Mexico and Alaska state libraries.
Sheldon also worked at several library schools as a faculty member. She worked first as the dean and acting provost of the library school of Texas Woman's University. She later served as dean of the University of Texas at Austin School of Information and as interim director and professor of the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science. She also taught at the library schools of San Jose State University and the University of Alberta after her formal retirement.
From 1983 to 1984, Sheldon served as the president of the American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world. Over the course of her career, she published several books on librarianship, such as Personnel Administration in the Small Public Library (1980), Leaders in Libraries: Styles and Strategies for Success (1991), and Interpersonal Skills, Theory and Practice: The Librarian's Guide to Becoming a Leader (2010).
On February 11, 2013, Sheldon died from uterine cancer.
Awards
Awards earned by Sheldon include: Distinguished Alumni Award, Simmons College Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Pittsburgh Honorary doctorate, Acadia University Library Leadership Award, Arizona Library Association Outstanding Lecturer Award, San Jose State University Professional Service Award, Association of Library and Information Science Educators
At the University of Texas, she was honored with the establishment of an endowed professorship in her name. Additionally, the New Mexico Library Foundation created a professional development grant named for Sheldon.