Last Saturday,the world of bibliographic control lost a giant,and librarians everywhere lost a friend and mentor. Professor Allen Smith will be remembered by me as a gentle man of many talents,with a wicked sense of humor about the subjects he taught,and about life.
From the notification that was sent out to Simmons students,adjuncts,and alums:
In his life at Simmons,Allen’s contributions were many and his dedication was great. Allen joined the GSLIS faculty in 1978,served as Associate Dean from 2006 to 2007,and was recognized just this past spring for 30 years of service to the College. He lectured in reference,humanities,oral history, and computer programming,and was devoted to those he taught. To many of his students,the words “bibliographic control”will forever live on in their memories, despite the decades it has been since they sat in the seats of C101.
A man of many hats,Allen was a blacksmith (he put himself through graduate school shoeing horses),a folklorist,a librarian,an author,and an expert on the Appalachian dulcimer.
A former student has set up a wiki of Allen-related quotations,and others are swapping Allen stories on Facebook,through email,or by phone.
May all of us have such a huge impact on those we teach and serve.