page_title: Mary Ronnie
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: Mary Ronnie / Career
caption_attribution_description: English: The Auckland Central Library Auckland City, New Zealand. Looking southeast from the Wellesley Street / Lorne Street intersection.
context_page_description: Mary Allan Ronnie QSO is a retired New Zealand librarian. She was New Zealand's first female National Librarian, from 1976 to 1981, and the first woman in the world to head a national library. Before becoming National Librarian she was head of Dunedin Public Library, and later Auckland City Librarian.
context_section_description: Ronnie spent eight years as Head of Lending at Dunedin Public Library, a period that she regarded as one of her most productive. She gained overseas experience in branch libraries working in Glasgow for a year in 1960–61. In 1961, she became Deputy City Librarian in Dunedin, a position she held for eight years, succeeding Ada Fache in 1968 to become City Librarian. During her eight years in the latter position, she oversaw the building of a new library in Dunedin.
  In 1976, Ronnie moved to Wellington to become National Librarian after being encouraged by colleagues to take up the position. Ronnie took early retirement from the National Library in 1981; she would have had to retire in 1986 as the government service stipulated retirement at age 60. Her early retirement was prompted by her marriage to Peter O'Connor, an associate professor of history at the University of Auckland, and her move to live in Auckland. Also, preparations were underway to build a new National Library, and she felt that the planning for the new building should be done by someone who would work in the building long-term.
  After moving to Auckland, Ronnie became Auckland City Librarian from 1982 to 1984. In 1987, she joined the Graduate Department of Librarianship, Archives and Records at Monash University in Melbourne, serving as Head of Department and Acting Professor of the Department from 1989 to 1992.
  From 1973 to 1974, Ronnie was president of the New Zealand Library Association. She also served on the University of Otago Council from 1974 to 1975.
  Ronnie also wrote about libraries. Her writings included:
  a history of Otago and Southland libraries
  a history of Wellington Public Libraries
  histories of Dunedin Public Library
  the National Library Act 1965
  regional library services
  education for librarianship
  Ronnie has expressed her optimism about the future of public libraries both as a resource of printed materials but also for the opportunities afforded by digital technologies. She has been a champion for public libraries as focal points in their communities, advocating that they be located where people are. She has likened them to supermarkets with self-service and labelled items but with the additional feature of help when customers need it. In awarding her an honorary doctorate, David Skegg, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago, recognised her commitment to high quality and accessible library services, her leadership in the library profession and her scholarship.
caption: Auckland City Library 2008
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