Effie Constance Astbury

Effie Astbury BA graduate portrait. Credit Old McGill Yearbook 1938

b. Dec. 9, 1916, Montreal, QC; d. May 22, 2008, Montreal, QC

1938 BA (McGIll University, Classics)
1939 BLS 1939 (McGill University)
1956 MLS 1956 (University of Toronto)

1939-1949 Reference Librarian, McGill University Medical Library
1949-1950 Teaching Assistant, McGill University Library School
1950-1953 Lecturer, McGill University Library School
1953-1965 Assistant Professor, McGill University, Graduate School of Library Science
1965-1969 Associate Professor
1968-1979 Professor
1972-1976 Director, Graduate School of Library Science, McGill University
1982-2008 Professor Emerita

1971-1974 Member of the Senate, McGill University
CLA, CACUL, QLA, Member of Councils and Committees of these associations
Corporation of Professional Librarians of Quebec, Committee member

Astbury, Effie C. (1944). “Congenital cardiac disease: bibliography of the 1000 cases analyzed in Maud Abbott's atlas.” American Heart Journal, v. 27: 688–732.

Astbury, Effie C. (1961). “The Canadian Library Inquiry: a partial report on the 16th Annual Canadian Library Association Conference.” Bulletin of the American Library Association 55, no. 9: 818–820.

Astbury, Effie C. (1962). “Implications for the reference librarian [catalogue code revision].” Wilson Library Bulletin 36, no. 6: 450–455.

Astbury, Effie C. (1969). “Library technicians and the reference service.” Canadian Library Journal 26, no. 1: 54–57.

Astbury, Effie C. (1981). Casey A. Wood (1856-1942); ophthalmologist, bookman, ornithologist: a bio-bibliography . Montreal: Graduate School of Library Science (Occasional paper 7).

Astbury, Effie C. (1984). “Polite, cautious but determined.” In A fair shake: autobiographical essays by McGill women, edited by Margaret Gillett and Kay Sibbald, pp. 261–267. Montréal: Eden Press.

Astbury, Effie C. (1991). Canada and the Second World War: the home front and war aims: a bibliography. Montreal: Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, McGill University. (Occasional paper 11)

Beta Phi Mu (International Library Science Honor Society) 1958-1982 Emeritus Professor

1934 Graduation from Outremont's Strathcona Academy with 4 medals
BA magna cum laude, McGill University

In her retirement, at the Griffith McConnell Home, Cote St. Luc, she served as President of the Residents' Association and sat on the Residence's Board of Governors

Her specialties were library science education, reference service, and bibliography. “For Effie's many students, her greatest contribution was as a dedicated and inspirational teacher. Her shyness was balanced by a warm smile, infectious enthusiasm, quiet humour, and thorough professionalism. Her high standards and superbly organized courses with their up-to-date material made her a role model for generations of librarians. She possessed grace, dignity, integrity, and moral authority.” (McNally)

Obit. The Gazette (Montreal), May 30, 2008
McNally, Peter F. “Effie Constance Astbury, December 9, 1916 - May 22, 2008.” (Composed with the support and agreement of the Astbury-Smith Family)
Directory of library & information professionals. (1988). Chicago: American Library Association.
McGill University Library catalogue
A Fair Shake: Autobiographical Essays by McGill Women. Edited by Margaret Gillett and Kay Sibbald. Montreal, Eden Press, 1984, pp. 261–267.