June Richardson Donnelly
Faculty, Library Science
Dublin Core
Title
June Richardson Donnelly
Faculty, Library Science
Faculty, Library Science
Description
June Richardson Donnelly was born in College Hill, Ohio, to John Marshall Donnelly and Anne (Moore) Donnelly. She attended the Cincinnati Public Schools, graduating from Hughes High School. She went on to earn a B.S. in biology in 1895 from the University of Cincinnati, where she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. She later attended the New York State Library School in Albany, graduating with a B.L.S. around 1903.
After graduation, Donnelly worked for two years as a cataloguer at the Cincinnati Public Library. In 1905, she moved to Boston and took a position as a Library Science instructor at Simmons, where she would stay for more than thirty years. After taking a leave of absence in 1909 to assume the directorship of the Drexel Institute Library School in Philadelphia for three years, Donnelly returned to Simmons in 1913, this time as Associate Professor of Library Science and Director of the Simmons Library School. Under her guidance, the Library School developed courses in cataloguing and special programs for children’s librarians, and worked to foster relationships between students and prospective employers.
Donnelly was a supporter of women’s suffrage and possibly a member of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union of Boston (WEIU), though little evidence remains of her political activities. Most of her pursuits were related to her work as a librarian; she was a member of the American Library Association (ALA), the New York Library School Association, and the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Library Clubs. In 1918, Donnelly organized the first meeting of the New England School Library Association, held at Simmons, and in 1922, she was nominated for membership on the executive board of the ALA. She often encouraged college-educated women to pursue librarianship as a career, believing that “library service is a field particularly suited to women,” particularly those interested in social and community service.
Donnelly retired from Simmons in 1937, but her date of death is unknown. She is remembered for her contributions to the field of Library Science, and the Simmons School of Library and Information Science continues to offer a scholarship in her name.
After graduation, Donnelly worked for two years as a cataloguer at the Cincinnati Public Library. In 1905, she moved to Boston and took a position as a Library Science instructor at Simmons, where she would stay for more than thirty years. After taking a leave of absence in 1909 to assume the directorship of the Drexel Institute Library School in Philadelphia for three years, Donnelly returned to Simmons in 1913, this time as Associate Professor of Library Science and Director of the Simmons Library School. Under her guidance, the Library School developed courses in cataloguing and special programs for children’s librarians, and worked to foster relationships between students and prospective employers.
Donnelly was a supporter of women’s suffrage and possibly a member of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union of Boston (WEIU), though little evidence remains of her political activities. Most of her pursuits were related to her work as a librarian; she was a member of the American Library Association (ALA), the New York Library School Association, and the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Library Clubs. In 1918, Donnelly organized the first meeting of the New England School Library Association, held at Simmons, and in 1922, she was nominated for membership on the executive board of the ALA. She often encouraged college-educated women to pursue librarianship as a career, believing that “library service is a field particularly suited to women,” particularly those interested in social and community service.
Donnelly retired from Simmons in 1937, but her date of death is unknown. She is remembered for her contributions to the field of Library Science, and the Simmons School of Library and Information Science continues to offer a scholarship in her name.
Creator
Simmons University Archives
Date
1914
Rights
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Citation
Simmons University Archives, “June Richardson Donnelly
Faculty, Library Science,” Suffrage at Simmons, accessed April 24, 2024, https://beatleyweb.simmons.edu/suffrage/items/show/87.
Faculty, Library Science,” Suffrage at Simmons, accessed April 24, 2024, https://beatleyweb.simmons.edu/suffrage/items/show/87.