Librarians Kate McClelland, Kathy Krasniewicz Killed in Crash
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By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 1/28/2009 9:54:00 AM
Kate McClelland, vice-president/president-elect of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), and Kathy Krasniewicz, the head of youth services at the Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich, CT, were killed yesterday morning en route to the Denver airport when their cab was struck by a hit-and-run driver, reports the Greenwich Time.
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| Kate McClelland reads to a gathering of young critics. (file photo) |
"We received the tragic news of the passing of our colleagues in Denver,” Library Director Kevin McCarthy told the Greenwich Time. "It's too raw at the moment. The shock has not worn off yet."
The deadly accident took place at about 10:30 a.m. on Pena Boulevard, a heavily traveled road between Interstate 70 and Denver International Airport, when a white pick-up truck struck the purple and white Freedom Taxi minivan that McClelland and Krasniewicz were traveling in.
As a result of the collision, the taxi ran off the road and tumbled down an embankment, during which the women were thrown from the minivan, according to published reports.
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| Kathy Krasniewicz was acting director of youth services at the Perrot Memorial Library. (file photo) |
Police have arrested Sandra Lee Jacobson, 40, on two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault and say she may have been drinking, reports the Rocky Mountain News.
McClelland, known by friends and colleagues as “Mrs. Mac,” had a more than 28-year career at the library, during which she helped develop and oversee the children's storytime program, as well as a blog for young readers to share their reviews and recommendations of books.
After McClelland’s 2007 retirement, she remained active in the children's department. She was honored as one of 25 librarians from across the country chosen as a New York Times Librarian of the Year in 2006.
McClelland was extremely active in ALA. She chaired the 2002 Caldecott Award Selection Committee and was last May elected vice-president/president-elect of the ALSC. She officially assumed office at the end of the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA.
“ALSC’s strategic plan includes our vision for a future in which all libraries welcome every child and all libraries acknowledge that children come first,” McClelland said upon taking office in 2008. “Our members applaud this and at the same time they know it is a tall order. ALSC, in recognizing that the welfare of children and of libraries is inextricably linked, asks our members, ‘How can we help you?’”
McClelland served in the ALSC Board and was a member of the ALSC Notable Children’s Books Committee, Newbery Award Selection Committee, and the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Michael L. Printz Committee.
She was also a contributor and reviewer for Kirkus Reviews and SLJ and a frequent writer and speaker on the subject of “Radical Change: Books for Youth in the Digital Age.”
McClelland earned her master’s degree in library science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Krasniewicz was also active in ALA and served as chair of the ALA Notable Videos for Children Committee.
Both Trev Jones, SLJ's Book Review Editor, and Luann Toth, Managing Editor, Book Review, were friends and colleagues of the two women.
“I am devastated by today's news and saddened by Kate's and Kathy's deaths. My heart goes out to their families and to library service to children as a whole, for these were two of the most devoted, dedicated women in our field. Both were such talented, thoughtful, and insightful reviewers for SLJ, always fair, always on target. They were valued librarians, trusted reviewers, and, even more, good friends. Our loss is unfathomable,” said Jones.
Toth remarked that McClelland and Krasniewicz were both so vibrant and alive when she saw them in Denver, and that she was sure she spoke for all her colleagues across the country in being shocked and saddened by today’s news.
“I can think of no greater advocate for books and for kids than Kate McClelland. She lived and breathed her passions, served the Association in ways great and small, and was devoted to her Young Critics at the Perrot Library. Kathy's sparkling wit and voice of calm and reason were often the perfect counterpoint to Kate's exuberance. They were great friends and longtime reviewers for this magazine and will be remembered for their wisdom and eloquence, their charm and grace, and their warmth and good humor,” Toth said.
ALSC has created space on the ALSC Blog for those wishing to share memories and stories about McClelland and Krasniewicz.
"We will leave this space up for some time before resuming regular postings, which will hopefully provide an online place, and some time, for us to be comforted by each other and pay tribute to these two fabulous librarians and ALSC leaders," says ALSC Executive Director Diane Foote.
