Evan Ira Farber

Evan Ira Farber died peacefully at home February 12, 2009, with his sister Amy Ayers and longtime housekeeper Callie Hayes in attendance. He was the head librarian at Earlham College from 1962-1994 and brought the school national fame with his innovative program in bibliographic instruction. He was born in New York City and raised in Great Neck, Long Island. He received BA, BSLS, and MA degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with additional graduate studies at Princeton University. A recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus award from the UNC School of Information and Library Science, he held honorary doctoral degrees from Saint Lawrence University, Susquehanna University and Indiana University. In 1977 he served as president of the Association of College and Research Libraries and was named the organization’s Academic Research Librarian of the Year in 1980. He also received the American Library Association’s Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian award in 1987. Evan published widely on bibliographic instruction and library administration. His most recent book appeared in 2007: College Libraries and the Teaching/Learning Process: Selections from the Writings of Evan Ira Farber. He is the subject of the 1993 Festshrift, Bibliographic Instruction in Practice: A Tribute to the Legacy of Evan Ira Farber. He devoted himself to the larger Richmond community as well as to Earlham College. In his younger days he played handball at the YMCA and tennis wherever he could find a game. He loved bridge and poker. In later years, he read his beloved New York Times and talked about books with friends at Readmore. He was an avid supporter of the Richmond Symphony and Richmond Civic Theater. An attender at Clear Creek Friends Meeting over the years, Evan became a member of Temple Beth Boruk in later life. He was an inspiring mentor and trusted advisor to countless students and colleagues. His kindness, wonderful sense of humor, wide ranging interests and pleasant manner touched the lives of many in Richmond and beyond. He will be greatly missed by friends and family alike. He was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Hope Wells Farber (1931-2006), and is survived by his sister, Amy Ayers, (Edmonds, Wash.); children and stepchildren, Cindy Farber Soule, Amy Farber, (Rochester, N.Y.), Jo Anna Farber (Philadelphia, Pa.), May Beth Farber Hinshaw (Coralville, Iowa), David Nagle (Shawnee, Okla.), Jeffrey Nagle (Brunswick, Maine), Lisa Nagle (Evergreen, Colo.) and their spouses; 11 grandchildren; a great-granddaughter, and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and their children. A Memorial Service is planned for Saturday, May 23, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. at Clear Creek Friends Meeting, Stout Memorial Meetinghouse on the campus of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be given in Evan Farber’s name to Earlham College. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com (Photo courtesy of the 1994 Sargasso-Earlham yearbook)