Vignette 27: A librarian's legacy

The Ira Raymond Exhibition Room in the Barr Smith Library perpetuates the memory of Ira Doley Raymond (1917–2004), the University Librarian from 1964 to 1982. Generously 
funded by the Raymond bequest, this contemporary venue is a dynamic space for diverse exhibitions.

Raymond was born in 1917 in O’Halloran Hill, South Australia. He worked at the National Library of Australia before coming to the University Library. During his service, the collection passed a million volumes, and the Barr Smith Library building doubled in size. His meticulous planning and execution helped ensure success when operations were computerised from the 1960s onwards, and when cataloguing went online in 1980.

In 1989, Raymond was honoured as Librarian Emeritus. In 1983, he was presented with Festschrift—a book published in someone’s honour—titled Innovation no stranger. After retiring, he achieved an honours degree in Chinese from the University. He was no longer part of the Library, but he remained part of our community. That was so important to him—in his life, he always maintained that the role of the Barr Smith Library was for the community at large.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Giving with impact.  p.42