Ann Schabas, a former professor and Dean of the Faculty Information (1984-1990), died earlier this month in Toronto at the age of 97.
Schabas completed an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Toronto and, later, a Bachelor of Library Science degree followed by an MA and PhD, both from the University of London. Her PhD thesis was entitled “A Comparative Evaluation of the Retrieval Effectiveness of Titles, Library of Congress Subject Headings and PRECIS Strings for Computer Searching of UK MARC Data.”
Professor Emerita Lynne Howarth, who also served as Dean of the Faculty of Information, remembers Schabas as “a visionary” in understanding the importance of computer and information technology for the future education of library and information science students. In that vein, Schabas introduced the Master of Information Science (MIS) degree program as second master’s level degree program in the Faculty alongside the Master of Library Science (MLS).
Schabas’ obituary details a long life, well lived.
