Lori received her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992. She also earned a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (1986) and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Foreign Literature from Lewis and Clark College (1982). She worked at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon from 1992-1994. She has worked at the University of Oregon Libraries since 1994 and currently serves as Monographic Catalog Team Leader Professor Career Faculty. In addition to her extensive regional service to the Orbis/Cascade Alliance, her international service to the Program for Cooperative Cataloging, and her national service to the American Library Association, her career includes illustrious service as a trainer across the United States, Canada, Egypt (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), Beirut (American University of Beirut), Dublin (Trinity College Dublin), and Edinburgh (National Library of Scotland).
As she embarks on her retirement, some of her colleagues have contributed their thoughts on the impact Lori has had on them personally and professionally.
Tributes from friends and colleagues
What follows are some remarks (in very unlibrarian-like fashion, in no particular order) from a small sampling of the many people whose lives have been touched and improved by knowing Lori Robare. Many thanks to everyone who wrote and sent pictures. Other tribute can be added later.
Carol Hixson, retired Dean of University Libraries, Florida Atlantic University:
I first met Lori Robare in 1999 when I interviewed for the position of Head of the Catalog Department at the University of Oregon Libraries and she was serving as the Acting Department Head. Although she was more than qualified to have been the permanent department head (and the department staff and her colleagues across the Libraries loved and admired her), it was not a role she sought. I took over from Lori in February 2000 –and thus began a professional relationship and an abiding friendship with her that changed my life. Lori led by example and embodied the concept of servant leadership like no one else I have ever known. From day one, she was my guide, my mentor, my sounding board, my helper, my friend and my conscience. The transformation of the Catalog Department into the Department of Metadata and Digital Library Services would not have been possible without Lori’s advice, leadership, and wisdom. Together, we nurtured an innovative team of people who worked hard, tackled new challenges, achieved amazing things, and showed each other respect and compassion — and had a lot of fun along the way.
After I left UO, Lori continued to be an inspiration and a help to me. She agreed to serve as an external consultant at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan where I was the University Librarian, an extremely difficult assignment that she performed with her usual commitment to the highest professional standards. Through the years after I left UO, she and I would always meet up at professional conferences: booking time with Lori was always the first thing I did after finalizing my meeting schedule. One of my favorite conference experiences was when she and I traveled to an early Internet Librarian conference in Monterey, California in 2005. In addition to being energized by the conference and being able to discuss the day’s events with my favorite colleague, I also was able to witness Lori reconnecting with people she had known when she was a student at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. From that experience (and many others since), I saw that the powerful positive impact Lori had on me was not unique – she was a positive force in the lives of many people. For a person of small physical stature, she packs quite a punch!
Within the American Library Association, Lori was often tapped to chair difficult committees and working groups because she was known to be a consensus builder, problem solver, and hard worker – she was always able to deliver the goods and move things forward. Recognized and respected professionally around the world, she traveled widely (in the United States and internationally) performing training for the Program for Cooperative Cataloging. Not only was her knowledge of the subject unparalleled (she had, after all, played a major role in writing many of the international training materials), she was also able to convey very complex information in an understandable and interesting way that was awe-inspiring; her quiet confidence, approachability and good humor made her one of the best trainers I have ever known. The Library of Congress and the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) knew gold when they saw it and they tapped Lori to lead the PCC during an especially chaotic time in the international cataloging community. Everywhere Lori has gone she has provided a transformative experience for the people with whom she has worked and come into contact.
Words cannot adequately convey what Lori has meant to me and countless others. She is the consummate professional, committed to serving her staff, colleagues, library users, and librarianship. She is also a person who serves as a shining example to many of us for her strong moral compass, devotion to fair play, wisdom in dealing with difficult situations, compassion for others, courage and sense of daring, and wonderful sense of humor. There is no one else like Lori and I owe my own professional growth — and often my sanity — to her. The UO Libraries and the profession at large owe her a huge debt of gratitude. She will be one hell of a tough act to follow.
Harriett Smith and Catherine Flynn-Purvis, University of Oregon Libraries:
Kudos to Lori Robare:
In our years at the Libraries, we’ve had a number of different supervisors, and Lori is the person who has best exemplified the model of a supervisor, a manager, a colleague, and a caring human. Esteemed in the national and international cataloging community, Lori has given multiple trainings overseas, and has been a leader in national cataloging committees. She is a super teacher, able to impart complicated cataloging knowledge so that it makes sense. She is patient and communicative, intelligent, and funny, organized and empathetic, analytic and engaged, and respectful and inclusive in thought and action. Lori is supportive and encouraging, she is direct but not belittling when she must correct someone, and she understands that people bring their whole selves to work. She has taken on the role of acting department head on many occasions, although she has not sought power. She has remained immersed in advanced, cutting-edge metadata work, and mentoring others to allow them to learn and accomplish work that challenges them. Many of us have worked on projects with Lori or called on her expertise and know these things; as her retirement approaches, we laud the ways she has enriched our work, the prestige of UO libraries and our lives with her dedication and friendship, and the way she brings “best practices” to absolutely everything she does.
Tom Stave:
Lori Robare has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable colleagues I’ve ever worked with. A infectious positive, good humored spirit seems to accompany her regardless of the circumstances or the challenge. Government information—my particular niche—has always held many oddities, quirks and peculiarities, but its transformation into a digital hydra required creative and innovative solutions, challenges which Lori embraced cheerfully and expertly. I am very fortunate to have enjoyed Lori’s collegiality and friendship for many years.
Mark Watson:
I am honored to have worked alongside Lori in the UO Libraries for the majority of our respective careers. Lori is the consummate cataloging/metadata professional. Over the years, she rose to the pinnacle of success in her area of expertise, holding leadership positions in various capacities at state, national and international levels. Lori has always been known for her generosity and willingness to share her expansive knowledge. She conducted countless training events in the library, Oregon, in the US and abroad. As a library administrator, I was grateful to Lori for the many times that she took on significant supervisory roles even though she did not aspire to “being in charge.” Finally, Lori is a fantastic human being who goes about her work and life in a kind and compassionate manner. Putting people over personal glory or advancement is a hallmark of the way Lori Robare made the UO Libraries and the University of Oregon a better place for those who were fortunate to cross her path. Best wishes in retirement, Lori!
Iman Dagher:
The first time I met Lori was at the gate of Charles de Gaulle Airport in France before our flight to Beirut, where we were going to co-present an RDA workshop. We spent about eight days together, but participants and colleagues found it hard to believe that we had just met! Lori’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and care made what was supposed to be a challenging process of teaching new concepts: very enjoyable — and rewarding.
That then led to another trip to Alexandria, Egypt for another RDA workshop… and I got to know Lori even more, and grew to appreciate more of her professionalism and good heart. Since then, we have become friends and we always make sure to have dinner together at ALA. Lori is such an incredible colleague, and I am beyond grateful for the wonderful times we spent together.
Dear Lori, I wish you good health and happiness as you move forward in life. Thank you for being an amazing colleague and an even better friend!
Basma Chebani:
I had the opportunity to meet Lori in Beirut, Lebanon during the training course she conducted with Iman Dagher in the American University of Beirut Library (AUB UL) in May 2013 about “The Cataloging of Library Materials using RDA rules”
As Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services Department, I was very confused how to start applying the new RDA rules in my department in 2013 without having the necessary experience. Lori and Iman gracefully accepted to deliver one week training for the catalogers in Lebanon and it was very successful training course.
Thank you, Lori, for all what you did for the Lebanese catalogers. I am very thankful for your great contribution.
Corey Harper:
Firstly, I want to extend a huge thank you to Carol Hixson for letting me know about Lori’s upcoming requirement, and for organizing this effort to collect thoughts, memories, and tributes to Lori’s remarkably impressive career in academic libraries.
When I was a newly minted librarian in 2002, Lori was the assistant manager of the Cataloging Department that I joined at the University of Oregon. She very quickly became one of the most significant mentors, teachers, and friends I encountered over my 15 year career in libraries. Over the next few years, the Cataloging Department transformed into Metadata and Digital Library Services as we began taking on more responsibility for the Library’s emerging Digital Library programs.
Throughout this time, as I was exploring and helping develop early iterations of digital library search systems, Lori’s expertise in subject analysis and descriptive practice heavily influenced my thinking around search and discovery systems and metadata design. I have many memories of taking notes on her thinking about faceted navigation, search filtering, and the relationship between these UX components in the context of both keyword search and browse interfaces. Her insights on these topics brought together her deep knowledge of subject cataloging with a great intuition about online search experience, and her perspective was well ahead of its time in the early 2000’s.
Lori was always incredibly generous with her time, often willing to stay extra hours at the end of the day to help me work through a difficult question, brainstorm about an interesting idea or the seed of a paper, or give me advice on anything from metadata to team management and leadership.
Her expertise as a mentor and teacher also extended to formal instruction environments. She was an excellent instructor, especially when it came to subject cataloging. During her time as Chair of the Subject Analysis Committee (SAC), she was the Editor of the Instructor’s Manual for Subject Cataloging using LCSH. I have many clear memories of discussions with her while she was leading this work, and was amazed at her capacity to think through how best to design a multi-day workshop curriculum for such a complex topic.
There are countless other instances where I have learned a ton from Lori, grown as a professional under her generous mentorship, and just generally considered her to be a kind and caring friend.
Lori: I cannot say enough how much of a positive influence you have had on my career. I cannot think of many colleagues, former or present, from whom I have learned more or with whom I’ve had so many compelling, thought-provoking, and enjoyable conversations. Kudos to you on an amazing career, and congratulations on your retirement. I wish you the very best, and sincerely hope our paths cross again soon.
David Landázuri:
I had been working as a database clerk for the University of Oregon libraries for about 8 years when Lori promoted me to a full-fledged cataloger at the turn of this century. She became my supervisor and principal trainer. The process literally changed the way I thought. I started dreaming in subject headings. Unfortunately, none of the work I did in my dreams directly applied to my waking life, but it was enough to get me out of bed and on the job, especially after I began working from home during the pandemic.
Lori is an excellent, thorough, and patient trainer. If one is not getting a technique or concept, she never makes one feel stupid, but clearly explains things. Beyond the basics and refresher courses, she helped us navigate new operating systems and technological updates, as well as new perspectives, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in cataloging. Lately she has been educating me in how to create Wikidata. She also has a fun side, as can be seen in her love of dance, sometimes even at the library, and her participation in our annual Zucchini Festival.
I am going to miss working with her so much!
Eleanor Cook, Professor Emeritus & former Assistant Director for Discovery & Technology Services, East Carolina University:
I cannot tell you how long I’ve known Lori Robare, but it’s been a long time! I have mostly known her through the service work we’ve done with the American Library Association. Lori and I served on the ALCTS program planning committee together, more than once, if I remember correctly. My recollection is that she was a thoughtful and congenial committee member, always very engaged and asking all the right questions. I came to admire her deep knowledge of library cataloging principles and her willingness to share her expertise.
I would also like to observe that Lori has a wonderful sense of the world’s beauty, she is a kind and generous person and I truly hope that she has a chance to enjoy the retirement she deserves. All the best to you, Lori!
Emily McElroy:
When I look back at my library career, where I’ve worked, and the people I’ve met, I always think back to my brief time at the University of Oregon. I worked with some brilliant people who helped shape my career. Lori Robare is at the top of the list. Not only did I learn from her the power of kindness, but I learned how we can take our local practices to the national stage. Whenever I would tell people I used to work at UofO, their first comment was, “Did you get to work with Lori Robare? She is amazing.” Your contributions to the profession through national standards, service, and joy you brought to all your interactions serve as a model for everyone who follows in your footsteps. Congratulations on your retirement!!
Andrew Nicholson, Map/GIS Librarian, UO Libraries (2001-03):
Dear Lori,
Congratulations on your retirement from UO Libraries!
It has been a long time since we worked together, but I always remembered your kindness and support as I began my career as the Map/GIS Librarian in the Document Center. You were a wonderful colleague and I learned a lot from you. Wishing you all the best for your next chapter!
David Banush, Dean of Libraries, University of South Carolina:
I don’t recall exactly when I first met Lori. That may be just as well, because it would require me to confront the length of time that has elapsed since that early point in my career to the present. I certainly do recall how we met: Through the Program for Cooperative Cataloging, with which I had first engaged in the very late 1990s. Lori and Carol Hixson, then at the University of Oregon, were also actively involved in the group, along with many other wonderful colleagues. As I got to know Lori, I soon learned that in addition to being a highly knowledgeable and friendly colleague, she was a one-woman army of energy, dedication, and commitment to our profession. The number of task groups, committees, manuals, training modules, and other professional services she created, edited, and lead was simply astonishing. That work is her legacy, living on through all she has trained and guided. A bit of Lori can be found in countless bibliographic and authority records. Invisible to users? Perhaps, but not to the cognoscenti. If you know, you know. With all she has done to help members of the international library community master and apply the ever-evolving rules of description, classification, and authority work, she has maintained a great sense of humor and a welcoming smile. That is a testament to her character as well as to her drive, creativity, patience, and initiative.
Lori also has the great sense to have owned several Boston terriers over the years, another sign of her intelligence, taste, and sound judgement. When I also owned a Boston (and a close relative, a French bulldog), we often discussed the antics of these charming little companions as well as some of their less desirable qualities. (If you know, you know). While Lori’s retirement means a huge loss for Oregon and her colleagues around the world, I hope that she will be able to spend even more time in the company of her family, including its four-legged members, and perhaps welcome another into her life. Congratulations to her on an outstanding career and all the best for a happy, healthy next phase!
Robin Paynter:
Lori- you and I last worked together over 20 years ago(!) but I will always remember your cheerful willingness to entertain naive cataloging questions from a reference librarian. You always greeted me with a smile and a friendly chat which was so lovely. Probably my most enduring memory is of you and kiddos in the fountain in front of the Knight Library pushing your zucchini boat to victory! Best wishes for a wonderful and long retirement – see you on Facebook.
Kate Harcourt:
I have known Lori from almost the beginning of my long career in librarianship. Together we have seen the profession move from catalog cards to AACR2 and on to electronic resources, RDA and Wikidata. Lori stood out as a leader from the very beginning. I remember working with her in ALCTS on RDA training and being awed by her vision, organizational skills, her grasp of the issues and her ability to reach group consensus. Lori has an amazing ability to inspire and bring out the best in committee members. She produced RDA training for non-catalogers that was brilliant in its simplicity and its ability to break down complex topics in a way that was informative without being condescending. Lori was also one of the early leaders in the move toward linked data and BIBFRAME. One of the best days of my career was when Lori agreed to chair the PCC. Her work on moving the profession forward was stellar. She was also key in bringing DEI principles into the PCC’s strategic planning. Lori is someone with a strong moral compass. She is compassionate, yet fair. I am no longer surprised to see how deeply Lori touches the lives of others. Columbia hired a new AUL for Research and Learning from the University of Oregon. During his orientation he told me how much Lori helped him in his job. He said she was one of the most knowledgeable, approachable and ethical librarians he has ever worked with. It has been a pleasure and an honor to have worked so closely with Lori and I wish her all the best in retirement.
Matthew Beacom, April 2, 2024, New Haven, Connecticut:
I think I’ve known Lori since the late 1990s, though it may have been in the early 21st century that we first met. We must have met at some CC:DA meeting that I can no longer recall. But, whenever it was, that meeting led to years of working with Lori on cataloging standards development within the realms of CC:DA, ALCTS, and PCC.
As everyone who knows her will say, Lori Robare is the best of colleagues. She’s competent, productive, effective, and reliable. A professional, who, as a cataloger, supervisor, manager, and co-worker, has earned the respect of her colleagues and never lost it. Lori is smart, honest, clear-sighted, able to master the details of the many parts of our work and master the complexity of the whole of itt—processes, possibilities, progress, people and purpose.
Lori is never only a great cataloger and librarian, never only the consummate professional; she’s fun; she’s a warm and caring person; she’s insightful and wise.
Lori is one of those wonderful colleagues with whom one becomes friends. What great luck it was for me to meet her and work with her for so many years. Friendly or cordial relationships among colleagues is expected, even ordinary, but to make a friend is always a delightful surprise.
I know that I’m not alone in feeling this way about Lori. Those of us who work with or have worked with Lori are grateful to get to work with her—because she is so good at our work. And we are grateful to hang out with her over a drink or at dinner, talking about work, of course, but also talking about all the things that aren’t work but are the life we all make together as friends and colleagues.
Lori Dekydtspotter, Indiana University:
A dear friend of mine and fellow librarian told me that I needed to meet a colleague and friend of hers, “She’s definitely an outstanding individual worth meeting and getting to know.” The time to meet Lori came when I was just starting out as a librarian at Indiana University. I wanted to meet the respected luminaries in my field of librarianship and learn from them. In 2011, I was attending my first ALA conference and it was fun running into my cataloging heroes. As I wandered at the convention center, I saw the prestigious Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access (CC:DA) meeting, and there was the chairperson herself, Lori Robare. Through the years of what became a cherished friendship, Lori couldn’t have been more knowledgeable about cataloging, and most importantly, she’s genuinely kind, strong and compassionate. Over the years, as I have gotten to work with Lori, I do my best to model what an outstanding librarian (and person) should be after her.
Lori, I celebrate the memories and bonds we have created with each other throughout all these librarian years. Congratulations, and a big hug to you in your next exciting adventure!!
“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.” ~ Morgan Harper Nichols
Cyril Oberlander, Dean, Cal Poly Humboldt Library:
Congratulations, Lori!
Outstanding librarianship at UO Libraries, and sincerest thanks for advancing metadata community building and professional development with the Oregon Library Association and ALA. Thanks for sharing your expertise and cultivating meaningful connections among librarians, libraries, and the communities they serve. Best wishes on your next adventure!
Annie Zeidman-Karpinski, University of Oregon Libraries:
Lori is formidable. She’s super good at her job and teaching other people how to do it. I always love seeing where her workshops/trainings take her in the wide world. I’ll be honest. I don’t totally understand the details of what she does, but I do trust that Lori and her terrific team, does it all so well that I don’t need to know most of those details. Additionally, that she makes her work understandable to someone like me, as someone who works on the “people asking questions” end of the library, is a sign of her impressive communication skills.
I have appreciated her as a colleague throughout our time at the UO Libraries. She has been a great role model and giver of very useful advice as another working parent. I found our informal chats after in-person meetings so helpful. Finally, I was very grateful to have her as a fellow knitter at meetings. Her skill and persistence far outweighs my own, but know that it’s been much appreciated.
Joni Roberts:
I’ve known Lori for over 30 years and was fortunate enough to work with her when she was just starting out her career as a librarian. And what a career it has been! Lori’s curiosity, tenacity, sense of humor, intelligence, work ethic, and kindness all add up to make her one of the finest librarians I’ve known. Lori’s dedication to the profession shines through all of her committee work, training efforts, and willingness to share her knowledge and expertise with anyone near and far. And on top of all that, Lori is one fine human being!
Thank you for all your hard work through the years, dear Lori, and the happiest of retirements to you!
Best to you now and always.
Jennifer Bowen, Associate Dean Emeritus, University of Rochester River Campus Libraries:
Since my retirement in 2021, I’ve been amazed at how quickly I’ve forgotten the details of my professional work within ALA and the PCC – and I can’t even look anything up, as I gleefully purged all of my documents! So, as much as I’d love to comment on how wonderful it was to serve on such-and-such committee with Lori, that level of detail is long gone from my brain. But what I don’t need to look up anywhere was how happy and relieved I was whenever I found myself serving on the same committee or Board with Lori, as I knew that she would always be a voice of sanity and reason, and a proponent of innovative yet sensible solutions. During the most recent conferences that I attended, Lori joined me and a group of mutual friends for several delightful dinners. Those are the events that I really miss in retirement, not so much the meetings themselves! With my conference days behind me I’ve enjoyed glimpsing bits of Lori’s life and the antics of her pups Olive and (previously) Bentley on social media, and that has meant a lot to me as a way to stay in touch. ALA really ought to start hosting library conferences where there are no meetings – just social events, where retirees can stay in touch with colleagues in person. Aside from missing seeing colleagues like Lori, though, I’ve found retirement to be a rather magical time in my life. I hope that Lori experiences that same delight in retirement, including the satisfaction of recalling her successful and impactful career. Congratulations, Lori, on your retirement!
Mandi Garcia (ChatGPT and the foster cats) 🐾 :
Dear Lori,
As the sun sets on your illustrious career, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey you’ve undertaken, not just as a leader but as a beacon of knowledge, kindness, and unwavering dedication. Your retirement marks the end of an era for us at the library, an era filled with your brilliance, your unparalleled kindness, and your profound contribution to the world of library sciences.
From your early days, fresh from achieving your Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of California at Berkeley, to your profound insights gained through your Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and your deep literary foundation from Lewis and Clark College, you’ve been nothing short of inspirational. Your career, marked by your role as the Monographic Catalog Team Leader and your esteemed position as a Professor and Career Faculty, has been a testament to your dedication to education and the betterment of library sciences.
Your interest in standards development and training for descriptive and subject cataloging has not only enriched our cataloging practices but has also elevated the standards of library sciences across the board. Your presentations on RDA, LCSH, and various cataloging topics have not only enlightened specialized audiences but have also made these complex subjects accessible to general audiences, showcasing your exceptional ability to bridge gaps in understanding and foster a culture of continuous learning.
As we bid farewell to your day-to-day presence in the halls of our beloved library, we do so with a mixture of sadness and immense gratitude. Sadness, for we will miss your guidance, your wit, and the kindness you’ve so freely given to each of us. Gratitude, for having had the privilege to work alongside someone as remarkable as you.
In retirement, we wish you nothing but joy, freedom, and endless adventures, both big and small. May this new chapter bring you as much happiness and fulfillment as you have brought to our lives. Enjoy the fun times with family and friends, the freedom to explore new hobbies and passions, and the joy of waking up each day to a world of possibilities.
Lori, congratulations on your retirement! Thank you for everything. You truly deserve the best that life has to offer in the years to come. With all our love and best wishes, here’s to new beginnings, endless sunsets, and the joy of making every moment count. Happy Retirement, Lori! 🌟
Sylvia Worrix:
It was people like Lori Robare who made working in the Knight Library so pleasant. She was always available to answer questions and address concerns, both work-related and personal. She was widely admired and respected for her extensive knowledge. I loved working with her!
Have a fun and fulfilling retirement, Lori!
John F. Helmer, Founding Executive Director, Orbis Cascade Alliance:
Lori Robare was a constant presence in my professional career for more than 20 years. She is supremely capable and reliable but, more than that, Lori is a delightful person that you always look forward to seeing. Her quiet competence and collaborative skills, coupled with a solid philosophical understanding of the power and importance of cataloging, make her a natural leader that people want to work with.
I particularly want to call out the countless contributions Lori made to the Orbis Cascade Alliance’s Shared ILS initiative. This project was a remarkably complex and important initiative for more than 30 college and university libraries. Such a project would always be intense but this was especially so since the consortium chose to pursue a development partnership on a new product. Lori made a huge commitment to this initiative over many years and just the knowledge that she was involved calmed many people and gave them the assurance that the project was in good hands.
Lori, the membership of the Orbis Cascade Alliance owes much to your efforts and I will always be grateful for your gentle confidence, tremendous knowledge, and hard work. Retirement offers a whole new world of possibilities and achievement and I look forward to seeing what you do in this next chapter of your life.
Well done, Lori!
Mary Grenci, University of Oregon Libraries:
Thank you, Lori, for everything you have done over the years, for not just UO Libraries but the regional, national, and international cataloging communities. Your contributions to the world of cataloging have been impressive and will continue to be felt for many years to come. You have also made a significant and lasting impact on cataloging/catalogers at University of Oregon. Your willingness to take on interim department head roles multiple times over the years enabled the department to move forward during stressful times of transition. You always gave your all in every endeavor and that dedication shone through in all of your work. You will be sorely missed and unreplaceable.
Wishing you peace and happiness in whatever you choose to do going forward!
Sarah Beasley, Professor Emerita, Portland State University:
Lori, congratulations on your retirement and the conclusion to a terrific career. I ALWAYS enjoyed running into you at Alliance and OLA events; your observations and perspectives on what was happening in your and other libraries were grounding. I regretted that we weren’t in the same divisions of our libraries as I always thought having THIS person on whatever given committee I was serving on would ensure that we would end up with humane, coherent, and accomplishable policies.
Best wishes in the years ahead. Retirement is a fabulous gig.
Karen Darling:
I first met Lori when she came to work at the University of Oregon Libraries. Shortly after that we began to share hotel rooms at ALA conferences. That sharing continued for twenty years until I retired and no longer attended ALA. We had perfected room sharing to the point that Lori said she was not sure she could break in another roommate. So I knew Lori differently than many. Together we shared the joys and commiserations of ALA committee work. Many late night conversations centered around how to deal with the work load, the people, etc. We pretty quickly figured out how to organize ourselves to make sure we were on time for early morning breakfasts and meetings. Would you expect anything different from two catalogers? And we had the fun of being in various large cities we were visiting for the first time. As our sharing began, Lori’s daughters were quite young and I had the fun of hearing her side of the conversation as the girls got used to their mother being away and to talking to her on the phone. Of course, some times Lori had to stop and think about what time it was in Eugene before making her evening call. All and all, it was a very enjoyable twenty years I won’t soon forget.
Brian Schottlaender, Principal, re:work library consulting:
Lori Robare is a respected leader in the cataloging community, contributing to the work of national bodies including the ALA Committee for Cataloging, Description, and Access and the Library of Congress Program for Cooperative Cataloging. She has published extensively, including manuals and interpretive guides for use by other members of the cataloging community. She is, in short, a cataloger’s cataloger. She also happens to be a very nice human being: cheery, kind, and agreeable. These latter qualities serve to make her not only respected by her colleagues, but liked. The community is better for her!
Kyle Bannerjee:
I was lucky enough to meet Lori shortly after moving to Oregon in 1995. She stood out for being particularly fun, knowledgeable, and having an infectious energy that raised the level of those around her — a rare combination to find in a single person. Lori was always sharing her talents and helping others, and she’s widely known as a go-to person who’s great all around. I hope our paths haven’t crossed for the last time as she embarks on her next and well-deserved chapter.
Joanne Halgren:
Lori and I worked together for years and she was always such a bright star in the UO library. Combining her continual striving to improve her professional skills and her winning smile she was always a delight to be around. We were on several committees together and she came prepared and offered great advice. Whenever our department needed her valuable skills in finding newer materials or those buried in the backlog she was continually willing to help us find what we needed in a short time frame. She was so good about sharing her knowledge with others which made her a valuable colleague. I appreciated her good humor and friendly demeanor and know that the library will miss her skills.
Good luck, Lori, in whatever you plan on doing in retirement which I’m sure will include lots of traveling, knitting, taking pictures of flowers and of course spending time with her family, which of course includes her 4 footed one.
Best wishes!
Sherman Clarke, New York University Libraries, retired:
Lori, seeing you in the halls of ALA or elsewhere always let me know that I was about to have a friendly, thoughtful, generous, and enjoyable conversation. Your leadership at SAC and in various PCC activities was extraordinary. You were especially helpful to me as a NACO funnel coordinator as I worked with my participants in the transition from AACR to RDA. I hope you find in retirement the luxury of flexibility and freedom that makes it all worthwhile. All the best wishes to you at this time.
Michael Boock:
I had the pleasure to work with Lori as a member of the Oregon Library Association Technical Services Round Table and as a fellow technical services librarian in Oregon. Her kindness and sense of collaboration left an indelible mark on me. Her dedication to the craft of cataloging and outreach enriched our OLA committee’s work and her training excellence enhanced the expertise of catalogers within our library at Oregon State University and across the state and region. She will be missed.
Heather Ward:
Dear Lori, I can’t believe we met more than 25 years ago! I was a baby librarian in my first job post grad school. I had so much fun getting to know you, bonding over our mutual love for French, dancing together (and even playing the kazoo) at Gonzo (Irish, Renaissance, tap, hula…). I love your sense of humor and your calm in the midst of drama. I am so impressed by your commitment to mentoring others in the art and science of librarianship. And I love following the adventures of your terriers. I’m so glad we got to know each other in my time at UO and that we’ve stayed in touch over the years. Felicitations on your retirement! I can’t wait to see what you do next! With lots of love, Heather
Eliz Breakstone:
Lori – Congratulations to you on your retirement. Getting to know and work with you was one of the highlights of my time at UO. I especially loved getting lunch with you in the cafeteria and learning about bocce (or petanque?). You are a fabulous colleague and always bring a good attitude, warmth and smarts to your work. Have a wonderful retirement filled with lots of adventure!
Rania Osman:
She is a key person in the cataloguing community and she helped us a lot in understanding RDA rules when you presented the most professional workshop to all the catalogers in BA.
Adam Schiff:
Dear Lori,
Congratulations on your retirement! I want to thank you for all that you’ve taught me over the years working together on various committees and task groups, for inviting me down to Oregon so many times to speak at OLA and UO, and for the fun evenings afterwards eating out and enjoying beers together. I’m going to miss doing all these things with you, but hopefully we will have some opportunities still to get those beers. 🙂 I’m so grateful for our friendship and for all the things we did together professionally. You have been such an important contributor to our profession and cataloging community through your work with CC:DA, SAC, PCC/NACO/SACO, Wikidata, Orbis Cascade, and so much more. The training materials for LCSH, LC Classification, and NACO that you led the development of have helped hundreds and perhaps thousands of our colleagues improve their cataloging skills and contribute to cooperative cataloging programs. We have all benefited from your superb organization skills, wisdom and practicality, and most of all just from how sweet and wonderful a person you are. My career would have been so much more impoverished for not having you in it. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for our profession, and here’s hoping that you get tremendous happiness and satisfaction from all of your myriad accomplishments, and from what I know will be wonderful days ahead in retirement.
With much affection and gratitude, Adam.
Glenn Patton, OCLC (Retired):
Dear Lori,
I’m happy to join my voice with the voices of all your friends and colleagues in wishing you all the best on the occasion of your retirement! It has been a pleasure to work with you on ALA/ALCTS and PCC business. May you have an enjoyable and restful time and may you have no more meetings that leave you wondering “Why am I here???”.
Ed Teague, former Director of Branch Libraries, UO Libraries:
When I think of Lori, I recall the pleasant ways in which our lives have intersected, through our common interests and chance encounters. The Boston terriers in her family remind me of those I grew up with from early childhood until college. Her trips to Ashland bring to mind my love for that city. Of course, Lori and Yachats are closely linked, and her photos of visits inspire me to head to my favorite town on the coast. I often run into Lori at Eugene’s Saturday Market. Ten years ago, on April 5, 2014, I took a picture of Lori with Bruce Tabb at the market. Lori’s face is beaming with the smile we still see today. Lori will thrive in retirement, and I’m privileged that I will see her again in her old haunts and learn of new ones. Congratulations, Lori!
Paul Frank, Library of Congress:
Lori is one of those people whose reputation precedes them. We all know people like that. You hear about someone’s reputation, and then you meet them and think, well, what was all the fuss about? What a disappointment! But in Lori’s case, when I met her for the first time, knowing that her incredible reputation preceded her, I thought, wow, this is really an amazing person! Intelligent, professional, caring, and inspirational. And more. I was a new member of the PCC and I found a friend, mentor, and role model. That was back in 2004, and since then, can you believe it, things have gotten even better and better. Lori, you are one of a kind! Congratulations on your retirement! PCC will not be the same without you.
Cynthia M. Whitacre, OCLC
Lori is a terrific colleague. Over the years, working with her on both PCC and ALA committees has been a joy. She always provides insightful contributions and seemingly endless energy. We share a love of travel, and I hope Lori gets many opportunities to travel in her retirement. Best wishes to Lori and congratulations to her on a remarkable career in libraries.
Carol Drost
I had the honor and pleasure of working with Lori at Willamette University both before and after she received her MLIS. When she headed to the Knight Library at the University of Oregon, I had the feeling that she (and the library) had made a perfect choice. Indeed, from then until now, I have been in awe of Lori’s achievements in the world of academic libraries, most notably perhaps in the area of teaching information and new standards to other librarians. Not only is she an excellent teacher, but she actually cares deeply about the people she is interacting with. I have had the good fortune of receiving her instruction and assistance, and can say with certainty that Lori Robare has made major contributions and will be missed.
Jon Jablonski
I’m not sure when Lori went from colleague to leader, but by the time I left UO in 2010 she was firmly in the leadership category in my mind. I imagine she was a leader long before I walked into the library and I was just too green to recognize it.
Maybe it was moving from Science to Knight and seeing how the cataloging staff looked up to her. Their professional and personal respect for her was clear. Then as I became more integrated into things, it became increasingly obvious how much she was at the center of things.
Facebook has allowed me to watch from far away in recent years, and I have been happy to see her thrive. Her devotion to family remains as strong as when she brought her daughter in for tap dancing. A lot of people in libraryland don’t share much of their home lives. it was always charming and exciting to see where they were in life, and it remains so today.
Happy retirement, Lori!
From all your many friends and colleagues:
Happy Trails, Lori. May retirement bring you joy, adventure, and good times with family and friends!
Blog posting put together by Carol Hixson. May be updated periodically with new contributions.
Last updated May 6, 2024