Agnes May Grady

Agnes devoted her life to learning and to the steady, often unseen work that helps institutions—and the people within them—thrive. Her hard-working spirit and inspiring example were evident across decades of academic librarianship, where she brought care, rigor, and a deep sense of responsibility to every role she accepted.

Agnes pursued an exceptional course of study. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1969, majoring in German Language and Literature, followed by a Master of Librarianship from the University of Washington in 1970. In 1978, she completed a Master of Arts at the University of Oregon through an Interdisciplinary Studies individualized program in law, political science, and history, with a focus on American constitutional law—an achievement reflecting both intellectual discipline and breadth of vision.

Her professional career included significant service at Oregon State University’s Kerr Library, where she served as Serials Cataloger (1970–1972), Head of the Serials Section of the Catalog Department (1972–1976), Acting Head of the Catalog Department (1976–1977), and Assistant Head of the Catalog Department (1978–1984). A sabbatical year in 1977–1978 was dedicated to completing her Master of Arts degree at the University of Oregon in Eugene. She later served at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Libraries, where she became Leader of the Cataloging Team (1984–Present), offering devoted leadership grounded in expertise and a steadfast commitment to excellence.

Agnes also contributed widely through professional and university service at national, state, and local levels. She served on the OCLC Cataloging & Database Services Advisory Committee (1989–1990) and continued library-related service from 1991 onward. Among many contributions, she compiled and edited—together with Jill Keally—the “Tenure, Promotion and Retention Manual” for UTK Library Faculty (May 1987) and the “Library Faculty Handbook” (September 1988). She arranged a “Workshop on Effective OCLC Searching” in 1986 for librarians and staff from UTK Libraries, TVA, ORNL, Knox County, and the UTK Law Library, and in 1988 served as Mistress of Ceremonies for a Library Talent Show, a Library Staff Association social function intended to improve staff morale. In Oregon, she served on the State Committee for Centralized Cataloging of Oregon Documents (1976/77) and was consulted by several individuals tasked with setting up or reorganizing small college or special library collections—an enduring testament to the trust her knowledge and judgment inspired.

Her university governance service was equally substantial. At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Agnes participated in “Toward Equal Opportunity and Retention: Using Video as a Strategic Change Agent,” a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) project co-directed by Camille Hazeur and Dhyana Ziegler (1990/91). She served as a Member of the Faculty Senate (1987–1990) and held roles on the Faculty Senate Budget Committee (1987–1989), Bylaws Committee (1987), Faculty Affairs Committee (1988), and Educational Policy Committee (1989/90). At Oregon State University, she served on the Faculty Senate Academic Regulations Committee (1983–1984), the University Promotion and Tenure Observer Committee (1980–1981) and as Chair (1981), the Academic Requirements Committee (1980–1982) and as Chair (1981), and as Library Representative to the Faculty Senate (1977, 1979). She also served on the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees (1976) and the Faculty Senate Bylaws Committee (1972–1975), chairing that committee in 1975.

Within UTK Libraries, Agnes’s service included assignments such as Team Leader, OLIS Matrix Team (1992–); Member, Library Management Group (1992–); Chair, RLG Task Force (1992); Chair, Catalog Advisory Council (1989–1992; member from 1986); Member, Libraries–GSLIS Cooperative Initiatives Committee (1991/92); Member, Task Force on the Next OLIS Generation (1990/91); Member, Task Force on GPO Cataloging (1990, 1992–); Member, Working Group: OLIS Statistics (1992); Member, Working Group: Authority Index Display (1992); Member, Working Group: OLIS Extracts (1991); Member, DOE/OSTI Project (1990/91); Member, Working Group: Interactive OLIS (1989/90); Member, Working Group: Indexing in the Online Catalog (1989); Member, Computer Files Committee (1989–1990); Member, Department Heads Council Agenda Committee (1989/90); Member, Library PC Users Group Steering Committee (1989/90); Member, Social Work Library–Nashville Joint Operations Committee (1989/90); Chair, Technical Services Priorities Task Force (1989); Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Communication (1987/88); Chair, Authority Control Working Group (1986–1987); Member, Microcomputer Advisory Group (1986–1989); and extensive service on Library Promotion and Tenure Committees, including member and recorder roles and chairing P & T Criteria in 1987, with additional service in 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1991. She served on Search Committees including Interlibrary Loan Coordinator and Map Librarian; participated in the Working Group: Future of the Card Catalogs (1987); served on an Ad Hoc Budget Committee (1987–1988); was a member and recorder for the Preservation Study Group’s Task Force on Organization (1986); served on the Online Catalog Study Group and chaired its Indexing Subcommittee (1985); and contributed to the Travel Advisory Committee (1985) and Staff Development Advisory Committee (1984). At Oregon State University’s Kerr Library, she served on the Goals and Review Task Force (1979–1981) and on the Library Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee (1978–1979, 1981–1982), chairing in 1982, and she chaired the Library Information Retrieval Service Committee (1975–1977). Through all of this, Agnes’s devoted professionalism and steady leadership made her a beloved colleague and an enduring example to those who worked alongside her.

Agnes’s scholarly and professional contributions were extensive. She co-authored with Pauline S. Bayne “From Request to Shelf,” a HyperCard computer-based training module in two parts covering an academic library’s collection development, acquisitions, serials, cataloging, marking, and circulation activities, as part of the UTK Libraries series *New Horizons in Library Training* (1990). Her publications also included “Online Maintenance Features of Authority Files: Survey of Vendors and In-House Systems,” *Information Technology and Libraries*, vol. 7, pp. 51–55 (March 1988); “AACR2 Name Authority Project at Oregon State University Library,” *Alternative Catalog Newsletter*, no. 24–26, pp. 166–176 (December 1980); and “Divided Catalogs: A Selected Bibliography,” *Library Resources & Technical Services*, vol. 20, pp. 121–142 (1976). She wrote *Tennessee Librarian* articles including “An Up-To-Date, Reliable Database,” vol. 5, no. 1 (Fall 1989) and “OCLC at UTK,” vol. 1, no. 2 (Winter 1986). She authored text for “The John C. Hodges Library: A Tour for Librarians,” with Marcia Myers, with photographs by Angie LeClercq, published in *Tennessee Librarian*, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 20–24 (Winter 1988). She co-authored grant proposals including “Kentucky and Tennessee Broadsides to 1900” (1991) with the UTK Broadside Project team (Aubrey Mitchell, Project Director), and “Manuscript Cataloging Conversion Project” (1988) with the UTK project team (James Lloyd, Project Director). She produced “OCLC Full-Service Terminal Use in Technical Services Area; report” (February 19, 1991), issued internally to UTK Libraries, and served on the UTK Libraries CBT Training Project Team (1989–1990), grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. She co-authored “Testing of Authority Control Processing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,” a paper presented by Tamara Miller at the ALA Authority Control Interest Group session on July 11, 1988, and co-authored with Sook-Hyun Kim the UTK Libraries Technical Services Division “Series Authority Manual” (1985). She also chaired the Ad Hoc Committee on Online Maintenance of the ALA/LITA-RTSD/CCS Interest Group on Authority Control in the Online Environment (1987–1989).

Agnes was a generous presenter and teacher within her field. She presented “Library Staff Training: a Carousel of CBT Sessions” at the SOLINET Annual Membership Meeting, Technology Showcase (May 1991); and “Quality Staff Training for Quality Service” at the joint conference of the Kentucky Library Association Academic Library Section and the Tennessee Library Association College and University Library Section (April 1991); And many more presentations on the online environment and cataloging advancements.

Agnes found genuine joy in staying engaged with the world around her. She loved going to conferences and cherished her connection to Sweet Adelines. In true barbershop “groupie” fashion, she once followed a competing group all the way to Australia—an affectionate testament to the enthusiasm and commitment she brought to the things she loved. In retirement, she also took pleasure in putting jigsaw puzzles together and was an avid reader, surrounding herself with bookcases full of books and the comfort of well-loved stories.

Agnes is survived by Daughter, Karen May & Husband Rick May; Grandchild, Kristina Froisland & Husband Brian Froisland of Chesapeake, VA; Great Grandchildren, Cole & Paige Froisland; Grandchild, David May of Buckeye, AZ; and Son, Michael Grady & Wife Valerie McCluskey of Snohomish, WA.

Agnes May Grady will be remembered as beloved and devoted, hard-working in the truest sense, and quietly inspirational—someone whose life reflected constancy, learning, and service. Her legacy endures in the many lives she touched and the work she carried forward with dignity and care.