When Mary Lou Bendig walked through the doors of the Murray Library on March 3, 1976 she had no idea that when she left the library it would be when she retired more than 40 years later.

Mary Lou’s first position in the library was in the Serials Department as a keypunch operator [a few of those key punch cards can still be found in some of the books]. Mr. Serge Lakhanpal was her first department head and Anita Langford was her first supervisor.

Shortly after she began working in the Serials Department, Mary Lou experienced the first of many organizational changes in the Library. This change saw the creation of the Production Unit with RoseAnne McCrory as the Department Head and Peggy Koenig and Eldeen McFaull becoming her co-workers. Apart from a 2 year position in Education (1978) and a brief sojourn as an acquisitions operator, Mary Lou has devoted her entire career at the Library to working with Serials. In her words: “Serials were so complex, interesting, ever changing, there was never a dull moment with them! I loved all the detail. There were so many titles, so much work to do, that you rarely caught up with it. Policies were regularly set to handle each new problem that arose…”

In 1998, Mary Lou took on the responsibilities of a new position, that of Bindery supervisor. While serials were still a big part of her work the intricacies of preservation for the entire Library collection became a major focus and once again her attention to detail has been an asset. As she prepares to retire she continues to document the processes required for this focus.

When asked what she will miss most when she retires, Mary Lou quickly responded,

“The people.”

It was during her time as an acquisitions operator that Mary Lou enjoyed some of her favourite memories of times in the Library… working late with Margaret Samms often until 7 in the evening then heading out for supper 2 or 3 times a week.

“People like Donna Canevari who took the time to share her knowledge about a title helped me to develop a sense of value for my work.”

“Also Pat Bowman and others who would answer my puzzled look with an explanation of what they were talking about when they used terminology about processes I wasn’t familiar with.”

“Time spent on LAC when Frank Winter would report on initiatives and plans from where he was sitting, exposed me to the bigger picture of the Library in relationship to the rest of the University and beyond.”

Currently she finds the comradery working with Laurianne Jones and Brett Smith to be especially stimulating. Lively conversations are interspersed with hard work as the 3 work tirelessly on binding, mending and preservation activities. This is something she will miss…

What advice would Mary Lou give to her coworkers?

“Change jobs often enough to always be in a learning position, or be in a job that has enough change to challenge you.”

When Mary Lou walks out of the Library doors on August 31, her immediate plans are to relax. Going for walks, sleeping and listening to music are 3 things she plans to do. During the next year her focus is going to be on decluttering and organizing her home, planting a little garden and continuing to relax.

Mary Lou will be missed by her coworkers who appreciate her dedication, attention to detail and her quirky sense of humour…

So what are some words that Mary Lou’s coworkers came up with to describe her?

Committed, Conscientious, Creative, Curious, Dedicated, Determined, Fastidious, Genuine, Interested, Meticulous, Tenacious, Tenacity, Thorough, Thoughtful

Meticulous
Accurate
Reliable
Yoda of Bindery

Laconic
Original
Unshakable

Submitted by Fern Fitzharris