Mary Ellinor Lucy Archer

Archer was born on 13 November 1893 in Malvern, Victoria, Australia, to English civil engineer Oakeley Archer and Lucy Georgina Elizabeth, née Gaunt, and spent her childhood in Malaya. Her mother was Principal of the Trinity College Women's Hostel (later called Janet Clarke Hall) from 1906 to 1918.{{Citation |last=Whyte |first=Jean P. |title=Mary Ellinor Lucy Archer (1893–1979) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/archer-mary-ellinor-lucy-9377 |access-date=2025-05-19 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}

Archer attended Melbourne Girls Grammar School and Melbourne University (B.Sc. 1916; M.Sc. 1918),[https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P002253b.htm Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation website, Archer, Mary Ellinor Lucy (1893–1979)] and after graduating, taught botany at Trinity College.{{Cite web |date=22 December 1954 |title=Scientific Librarian Retires|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224551459 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=Weekly Times |language=en}} She was known professionally as Ellinor Archer.{{Cite web |last=Mead |first=Alex |date=2020-09-29 |title=Librarian and scientist – Mary Ellinor Lucy Archer (1893–1979) |url=https://alumni.csiro.au/librarian-and-scientist-mary-ellinor-lucy-archer-1893-1979/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=CSIRO Alumni |language=en-AU}}

In November 1918, Archer was appointed to the Seed Improvement Committee of the Advisory Council of Science and Industry (Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry from 1920) as secretary and investigator.[https://www.wmoa.com.au/herstory-gallery/43 Women's Museum of Australia website, Archer, Mary Ellinor Lucy] It is thought she wrote their bulletins (1922–23) on improving crops and classifying barleys, oats, and wheat. In May 1923 Archer was given charge of the institute's library, but following the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's inauguration (1926) her role was reclassified in 1929 to librarian and scientific assistant. When appointed in 1923, Archer was the only librarian in the organisation.{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Blaine |date=15 January 1955 |title=Doyen of our women librarians 31 YEARS WITH CSIRO |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71689844 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=The Argus |language=en}}

With little librarianship training, but with great administrative skills, she turned scattered collections into a smooth running system of libraries. As Citrus Preservation Committee secretary she compiled an agricultural research register; was effectively head librarian of divisional and experimental stations' libraries. From 1936 to 1937 she visited British scientific libraries to learn from their scientific libraries and about modern methods of librarianship.{{Cite web |date=8 June 1937 |title=from Near and Far |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203864429 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=The Age |language=en}} This included the universal decimal classification which she later introduced at the CSIRO.{{Cite web |date=23 December 1954 |title=Noted Librarian Retires |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/150525765 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=Maryborough Chronicle |language=en}} She created a union catalogue – a great unifying force for CSIRO Libraries, basis of the National Union Catalogue of Monographs (1960).

Archer was named as Chief Librarian January 1946 and continued in the role until 1954. At the time of Archer's retirement in 1954, she had built 36 CSIRO library branches across Australia with 70 women librarians employed.{{cite news |date=19 December 1927 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31230587 |accessdate=20 May 2025 |newspaper=The Sun News-pictorial |location=Victoria, Australia |page=43 |via=National Library of Australia |issue=1644 |title=The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922–1954; 1956) – 19 Dec 1927 – p. 43 }}

Archer made a lasting contribution to the library profession as foundation member of the Australian Institute of Librarians (1937) and first female president (1948–49). She was also the President of the Victorian branch in 1945.{{Cite web |date=23 December 1954 |title=Librarian Retires |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205728989 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=The Age |language=en}} Despite not having any formal library education, in 1941 Archer established the examination branch of the Institute.{{Cite web |last=Conochie |first=Jean |date=1 November 1987 |title=Major achievements in special librarianship |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/0292d49b5f18a4dc308c269aa3f3caf7/1?cbl=1819240&pq-origsite=gscholar |access-date=2025-03-27|id={{ProQuest|}} |publisher=The Australian Library Journal |language=en}}

The Institute was reconstituted the Library Association of Australia (now the Australian Library and Information Association) with Archer an active past president (1950–53).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} Archer had a particular interest in special libraries, signing a petition in 1951 for the establishment of a Special Libraries Section, which was formed in the same year. She continued demonstrating concern for special librarians insisting their interests be included in the national examination system. Believing it important for special groups to be active participants in the Association, she led the way, holding many L.A.A. Victorian and National positions. {{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

She was admired as an intelligent and energetic person taking on conflicts she felt necessary. When CSIRO division heads wanted their own libraries she played a major role in selecting candidates, ensuring they had sufficient autonomy enabling development of abilities and initiatives, whilst building a cohesive library system. Archer's keen interest in information exchange was reflected in her support of Inter-Library Loans and promotion of uniform codes and standard forms. In a rare article she wrote about Inter-Library Loans in the Australian Library Journal and speaking at L.A.A.'s 8th Conference (1955).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

As a prominent Australian Special Librarian running a national library system she travelled widely, advocating membership of the Library Association and promoting education of librarians. While establishing CSIRO's Perth library (1954) she visited other special libraries offering advice.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Archer said she became a librarian by accident – but was a successful librarian and senior administrator in an organization with few women in senior positions. For her, libraries were about people as much as about books stating "We cannot have pride and satisfaction in our work unless we are adequately trained to cope with it. ... giving ourselves to work with interest and enthusiasm, ..... making libraries and librarianship a real force in the community." (Presidential Address 1949).{{Cite journal |title=Ellinor Archer |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1310516153 |journal=The Australian Library Journal |volume=22 |issue=10 |page=415 | id={{ProQuest|1310516153}}}}

After retiring on 17 December 1954, Archer continued botanical studies, painting, walking, and supporting Save the Children Fund by collecting and selling books. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1956 for her "unique contribution to the development of scientific libraries in Australia."{{Cite web |date=2 January 1956 |title=Queen Knights Army's Chief of Staff ABC Chairman |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72528062 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Trove |publisher=The Argus |language=en}} She died at Toorak, Melbourne on 3 May 1979.

The Ellinor Archer Pioneer Award is one of the Australian Library and Information Association's highest awards, and is presented to a person or institution pioneering new areas of library and information science (one-off product, new service or program or development of an existing service), incorporating a future-oriented approach.{{cite web|url=http://www.alia.org.au/awards/ellinor.archer/ |title=Ellinor Archer Pioneer Award |date=27 June 2011 |publisher=Australian Library and Information Association |accessdate=28 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322012055/http://www.alia.org.au/awards/ellinor.archer/ |archivedate=22 March 2012 }}

On 12 November 2022, Archer was memorialised with a Google Doodle to celebrate her lifetime achievements.{{Cite web |title=Mary Ellinor Archer's 129th Birthday |url=https://doodles.google/doodle/mary-ellinor-archers-129th-birthday/ |website=Google| access-date=2022-11-13}} A meeting room at the CSIRO's Clayton campus is named after her.

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• {{Cite AuDB|first=Jean P.|last=Whyte|title=Archer, Mary Ellinor Lucy (1893–1979)|volume=13|year=1993|id2=archer-mary-ellinor-lucy-9377}}
• 'Ellinor Archer by some former members of her staff' Australian Library Journal v. 22: 10 Nov. 1973 pp 415–17
• 'Obituary' Australian Library Journal v. 28:15 7 September 1979 pp. 288–289
• Special Libraries section Australian Library Journal v. 1 Jan 1952 pp 64–67
• Streamlining interlibrary reference work: a plea for standardization Australian Library Journal issue 2 July 1953 pp 78–81

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120322012055/http://www.alia.org.au/awards/ellinor.archer/ Ellinor Archer Pioneer Award, Australian Library and Information Association]

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Category:1893 births

Category:1979 deaths

Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Australian librarians

Category:Australian women librarians

Category:Scientists from Melbourne

Category:University of Melbourne alumni

Category:People educated at Melbourne Girls Grammar

Category:20th-century Australian women scientists

Category:20th-century Australian scientists

Category:Australian expatriates in Malaysia