It is with deep sadness that IFLA informs its members and colleagues around the world of the passing of former President and IFLA Honorary Fellow, Donna Scheeder. Her presidential theme, Libraries: A Call for Action, encompassed her life and being.
Donna Scheeder spent much of her career at the Library of Congress and Congressional Research Service and was heavily involved with the Special Libraries Association (SLA) as a past President and a Fellow. She then became internationally active serving on the IFLA Libraries and Research Services for Parliaments and Law Libraries Standing Committees. However it was on IFLA’s Governing Board that she increased her impact, serving as member from 2009-2011 , IFLA Treasurer 2011-2013, President-elect 2013-2015 and President from 2015-2017.
In her acceptance speech as President, Donna stated that discussions are fruitful but not enough. Librarians must take action and build a change agenda – personally and in our communities utilising our organisations. Her call for action took flight in the implementation of the Global Vision process, a worldwide conversation involving thousands of librarians and workshops in each region of the world. Donna Scheeder enjoyed meeting colleagues and bringing them into the family of IFLA. She wanted no-one left behind.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
