Sheila Williams was a long-time member of the Friends of the Turnbull Library committee. She also had a long career with both the Turnbull Library and the National Library and was a stalwart member of the Library Association LIANZA.

Sheila’s own grandfather was a colleague and friend of Alexander Turnbull. Her father served as a committee member and president of the Friends of the Turnbull Library (1965-1971). Sheila’s own career with the library, after graduating from Victoria University of Wellington, culminated in her appointment as chief cataloguer, and she remained with the National Library for 28 years.

Sheila Williams provided excellent and sustained service to the Association for many years, becoming a LIANZA Fellow in 1985 and an honorary life member in 2002. She was Chair of the Association’s Wellington Branch, 1968-1970, a member of the Council 1971-1982, honorary assistant secretary 1971-1975, and honorary secretary 1975-1982.  She served on many LIANZA committees and provided important professional linkages with the New Zealand Society of Archivists and with the Friends of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Sheila had a distinguished career at the Alexander Turnbull Library, and with the National Bibliography, which she edited from 1973 to 1979. She served as librarian in charge of the New Zealand Bibliographic Unit from 1979-1987, and then as Bibliographic specialist at the National Library of New Zealand from 1987-1990.

She was assistant editor of the New Zealand National Bibliography to the year 1960 for volume 1 (1980) and volume 5 (1985). After 1990, she was a freelance librarian, while also contributing to the education of the new generation of librarians by tutoring and teaching at the School of Library and Information Studies at Victoria University of Wellington.

Her life member citation mentioned the following:

“Sheila has been a stalwart member of the Association and during the periods of crisis, which the Association has undergone, has always provided moral and practical support. She has, through her actions, made a major contribution to the Association’s recovery on each occasion. This has been very generous and without any sense of personal advantage.  Indeed, it has probably been at some personal cost. She has filled in when the Association was in straitened circumstances, has kept the office in operation and assisted with moves of premises. This is illustrative of her very active and continuing interest in the affairs of the Association.”

Image: Alexander Turnbull Library staff circa 1973. Sheila is front row, fourth from right.