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 On
Friday, June 9th, more than 150 colleagues and friends
gathered at the William Pitt Union to celebrate the
retirement of Dr. Margaret Mary Kimmel, Professor and
Chair of the Department of Library and Information
Science at the School of Information Sciences. Dr.
Kimmel, officially retiring at the end of June, will
continue to teach courses for the School. SIS
has a long history of creating leaders in children’s
literature: educators such as Frances Jenkins
Olcott, Elva Smith, Elizabeth Nesbitt and Margaret
Hodges told stories, inspired students and contributed
to both professional literature and children’s
books.
Dr.
Kimmel, with her 28 years of dedicated service to educating
library and children’s literature professionals,
has continued this upstanding tradition with her teaching,
her storytelling, and her publishing. Dr. Kimmel’s
career as a librarian began at the Enoch Pratt Free
Library in Baltimore, while her career as an educator
began at Catholic University. She
was a Visiting Professor at the College of Librarianship
in Wales and served on the faculty at Simmons College
in Boston -- all prior to earning her doctorate in
Library and Information Sciences here at the University
of Pittsburgh.
Throughout her illustrious career, Kimmel has made
her mark on the library profession. She has served
as: Chair of the Department of Library and Information
Science here at Pitt; Past President of the United
States National Section of the International Board
of Books for Young People; a member of the Advisory
Board and Chair of the Board of Directors of Beginning
with Books; a member of the Board of Directors for
the Electronic Information Network; President of the
Association of Library Service to Children; a member
of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Council
of Western Pennsylvania; and a member of the Board
of Trustees for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Dr. Kimmel has been recognized for her dedication
and efforts on behalf of her community and the profession. Seton
Hill College awarded her an Honorary Degree of Humane
Letters and Carlow College nominated her a “Woman
of Spirit” in 2000. The University of
Pittsburgh bestowed upon her the “Chancellor’s
Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and the Children’s
Museum of Pittsburgh honored her in 2002 as “A
Special Friend to Children.”
In addition to being a library professional, Dr. Kimmel
is noted as an excellent teacher, one who inspires
her students and her colleagues. She has taught
courses on “Understanding Information,” “Resources
for Children,” “History of Children’s
Literature,” and “Storytelling,” one
of the most popular courses offered in the SIS curriculum.
Kimmel’s publications include both stories and
instructions for those who tell stories. Readers
have enjoyed “Magic in the Mist” and her
spoken recording of “Trickster, Fools & Heroes” while
educators and librarians have immersed themselves in “For
Reading Out Loud! A Guide to Sharing Books with
Children” and “Excellence in School Media
Programs.” She has served as the series
editor for “Children’s Books in Western
Pennsylvania,” published by the University of
Pittsburgh Press. Her love of story – and of
children – led to her involvement in the powerful
and enduring television show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” a
much-beloved staple on PBS. As a consultant,
Dr. Kimmel contributed greatly to this landmark television
program; in fact, she edited a book about the program
and its humble host: “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Children,
Television and Fred Rogers.”
Dr. Kimmel’s colleagues, friends and family
recognized her 28 years of service with contributions
to the Margaret Hodges Scholarship Fund here at the
School of Information Sciences. Dr. Hodges, like
Dr. Kimmel, was one of the many here at the University
of Pittsburgh who advanced the field, who contributed
to the body of literature meant for children, and who
inspired students to do the same. More than $5000 was
donated to the fund in honor of Dr. Kimmel’s
retirement; these funds will support a graduate student
here at SIS who demonstrates high academic achievement
and an interest in working with children in a public
library setting. Generations of future librarians
will benefit from the generosity of those kind enough
to donate to the Scholarship Fund in honor of Dr. Margaret
Mary Kimmel.
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