Miller, Marilyn | American Libraries Magazine

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Marilyn Miller, 1992-93 ALA President, died May 22 after a long illness. Miller was professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, joining the faculty of the School of Library Science in 1977 and serving as chair of the department from 1987 until her 1995 retirement. During her tenure, the school established the first distance education program in the state to offer a master’s degree remotely. She had earlier been part of the faculty of the library school at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1966-77, and a librarian at several schools in Kansas. In 1962, she became the first Kansas state school library consultant.

As ALA President, Miller’s presidential theme was “Empowering People through Libraries.” She was a champion of LGBT rights and led a march during the 1993 Midwinter Meeting at Colorado’s State Capitol in opposition to Amendment 2, which excluded sexual orientation from protection against discrimination. She also served as president of ALSC in 1979-80 and AASL in 1986-87, when the Information Power school library media program national guidelines were being developed.

She was a prolific writer and speaker on library issues. Publications she edited included Pioneers and Leaders in Library Services to Youth: A Biographical Dictionary (Libraries Unlimited, 2003), and Continuing Education for the Library Information Professions (Shoe String Press, 1986). She also conducted influential statistical research on school library media program expenditures published in School Library Journal from 1983 to 2003.

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