Anne Galler

ABQLA is very pleased to the announce that Eva Roskies Raby, Executive Director of the Jewish Public Library of Montreal, is the 2011 Anne Galler Award recipient in recognition of her exemplary leadership and dedication to the library profession in Quebec.

The following remarks were delivered by Maria Luisa G. Morales, Past President, ABQLA in introduction at the 2011 ABQLA Conference. To read Eva Roskies Raby's acceptance speech, please click here.

The 2011 Anne Galler Award for Outstanding Library Service: 
                                     Eva Roskies Raby

Presented by Maria Luisa G. Morales, Past President, ABQLA

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to our annual Awards dinner. We also want to acknowledge the presence of Mr. Mark Galler, and Mr. Nicholas Hoare who is the sponsor of this event.

I want to express my appreciation and thanks to the members of the Awards Committee, Wendy Wayling and Luigina Vileno, for their invaluable help and insight.

Every year our society gathers to discuss exciting and challenging issues of our profession, and during the course of our conference we honor one of our colleagues with the Anne Galler Award for Outstanding Library Service.

“In the 1990s QLA created two awards:  Lifelong Membership (later renamed Achievement), and Outstanding Service – which were merged in 2000 to become an award named in memory of Anne Galler” . The Quebec Library Association presents each year this award to an individual who has enriched librarianship in the Province of Quebec and who has made a lasting contribution to our profession.

On behalf of ABQLA and as chair of the Awards Committee, I am delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2011 Anne Galler Award for Outstanding Library Service is Eva Roskies Raby.

Eva has been the Executive Director of the Jewish Public Library of Montreal since June 2000. For seventeen years prior to that she was head of the JPL’s Norman Berman Children’s Library. Her library career includes nine years as head of the Social Work Library at McGill University, four years at McGill’s Management Library and two years at Vanier College in Montreal.

After receiving a B.A. in Joint Honours History and Political Science from McGill University, she received a Master of Science (Econ) degree in International Diplomatic History from London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London (England) and her M.S. in Library Science from Simmons College in Boston.

A member of several professional library associations, she served as President of the Quebec Library Association in 1992-93, was convener of its annual conference the previous year, was a  Member of the Board of Directors from 1988 to 1990; and President of the Youth Section in 1987-88. In 1988 she received the first Award for Professional Excellence, presented by the Allied Jewish Community Services of Montreal. She is currently serving as one of the chairs organizing the annual Association of Jewish Libraries conference to be held in Montreal next June. She has recently announced her retirement, which will be in the Fall of this year.

Thoreau once said, “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a person to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”  Eva has chosen to contribute to the world around her by putting her thoughts into action. She lectured to parents, teachers, librarians and the general public over the years on issues of children’s literature, helping children to read and participated on University panels discussing library services to children. She has promoted our profession with her professionalism and positive attitude, and has made it into an adventure. 

Norma Matthews wrote the following paragraph about Eva in the Association’s Bulletin of May 1995 as a tribute to a colleague who was at the time a driving force in our Association: “When Eva Raby joined the Jewish Public Library as Head Children’s Librarian, she came equipped with unsurpassed talent, creativity, and enthusiasm, but little knowledge of children’s literature and programming for youngsters. It was no problem for her to take courses and supplement her skills to equip herself for this new position.  The Children’s Library welcomed Eva’s infusion of ideas, programmes, and general philosophy of reaching out to serve the community.”  Norma finished by stating that “it is with great reluctance that the children graduate to the adult library, and Eva can be accused of almost single-handedly creating a generation of Peter Pans. What a wonderful legacy!”

In any capacity, as a librarian, as a team worker, as a leader, or as an active member in various professional associations, Eva has enriched librarianship and has made a lasting contribution to our profession by being passionately involved and engaged in the library community.

Please accept this award along with our immense gratitude for your exemplary work and dedication to our profession.  Congratulations.”

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Each year the Quebec Library Association presents an award to a librarian for outstanding library service.  This award recognizes an individual who has enriched librarianship in Quebec and has made a lasting contribution to the profession.  Originally, the award was named The Outstanding Service Award, of which the late Anne Galler was a recipient.  In 2000, in honor of Anne, we renamed the award The Anne Galler Award for Outstanding Library Service.