Librarian

Rodney S. Gobrecht, a retired Baltimore County public school librarian and media services specialist, died Monday of lung cancer at his Reisterstown home. He was 76. Mr. Gobrecht was born and raised in Hanover, Pa., where he graduated in 1954 from Eichelberger High School. After graduating from Gettysburg College in 1958, he served in the Army. He later earned a master's degree in library science from the Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Gobrecht began his career in city public schools, and he worked for more than 30 years for Baltimore County public schools as a librarian and media services specialist.

Carolyn Marie Hauck, a retired Enoch Pratt Free Library staff member who encouraged patrons to explore films and the arts, died of dementia complications at the Pickersgill Retirement Community. The longtime Mount Vernon resident was 89. Born in Anderson, Ohio, she was the daughter of Carroll E. and Marie Hauck. She earned a bachelor's degree in art from Miami University in Miami, Ohio, and had a master's degree in library science from Western Reserve University. She moved to Baltimore in 1954 and joined the central Pratt Library.

Belinda G. Galbreath, a retired Baltimore County librarian who was an accomplished storyteller, died Sunday of complications from diabetes at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The lifelong Street resident was 59. The daughter of dairy farmers, Belinda Grace Galbreath was born in Baltimore and raised on the family farm in Street. After graduating from North Harford High School in 1970, she earned a bachelor's degree in library science in 1975 from the University of Maryland, College Park.

A Denver-based scholarly librarian leveled plagiarism allegations against a Towson University professor after doing research for his watchdog blog and alerting university officials, journals and The Baltimore Sun. Towson is reviewing the work of legal affairs professor Benjamin A. Neil, who says that he has done nothing wrong and that the issue is a matter of "style and formatting. " Jeffrey Beall, an academic librarian at the University of Colorado, Denver, specializes in scrutinizing publishers who make content available for free online but require authors to pay a fee when their articles are accepted into a journal.

Helen T. Armstrong, a retired public school librarian, died June 21 of multiple organ failure at Kendal at Longwood retirement community in Kennett Square, Pa. She was 95. Helen Towne Armstrong, the daughter of James Wadsworth Armstrong and Abbie Richmond Armstrong, was born in Baltimore and was raised in a house on the grounds of the Lake Montebello filtration plant, which her father had designed and managed for 25 years. He also designed the dams at Prettyboy and Loch Raven reservoirs, said a niece, Martha Hendrickson of Lutherville.

Gretchen Crews, a retired librarian, teacher and club manager, died Dec. 27 at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center of injuries sustained in a fall at her Towson home. She was 83. Born Gretchen Matthews in Baltimore and raised in Wyman Park, she was the daughter of Howard Matthews, a state auditor, and his wife Gretchen, a home economics teacher and homemaker. She attended Margaret Brent School in Charles Village and was a 1947 Eastern High School graduate. She earned an English degree at Goucher College and later received a library science degree at Towson University She taught English in the city public school system and later was a librarian, both in the school system and at the old Bay College at Howard and Centre streets.

In advance of Banned Books Week (Sept. 25-Oct. 2) I want to thank the often unheralded defenders of my First Amendment rights — librarians — who have quietly fought and continue to fight censorship. Large amounts of great literature have been banned at one time or another by self-appointed arbiters of the public morality — churches, school boards, censor boards, etc. — because these books have asked questions or described situations that made the rich and powerful uncomfortable or offended someone's sensibilities.

Mary G. Creaghan, a Loyola High School librarian who during her nearly four-decade career helped generations of students appreciate the world of books and letters, died in her sleep Saturday at St. Elizabeth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Southwest Baltimore. She was 98. Mary Gabriel Creaghan, the daughter of a contractor and a homemaker, was born in Marriottsville and raised in Pikesville. She was a 1929 graduate of St. Joseph Academy in Emmitsburg and earned her bachelor's degree in English in 1933 from St. Joseph College, also in Emmitsburg.

The Baltimore-area librarian who banned the wildly popular and wildly racy "Fifty Shades of Grey" says she knew her move would spark criticism. But Mary Hastler, director of the Harford County Public Library, says E.L. James' book violated the system's policy on pornography -- and was poorly written to boot. "I've been doing this a long time, and I knew it was going to make some people happy and others unhappy. That's just a given. But if I had gone against our policy, it would have been a lot more difficult for me," she said in a profile by The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker.

Esther L. Sandstrom, a former middle school librarian and a world traveler, died May 26 of heart failure at Franklin Square Hospital Center. She was 95. Esther Louise Plancon, the daughter of French immigrants, was born and raised in Springfield, Mass., where she graduated in 1933 from Classical High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from American International College in Springfield in 1937. She worked as a telephone operator after college and in 1937 married John Russell Sandstrom.

Baltimore County school librarians are worried about their next chapter. New schools Superintendent Dallas Dance wants to eliminate from school system policy a written requirement that each school have a librarian and has shifted library science functions from the instruction and curriculum department to testing and technology. Dance said that neither the reorganization nor the proposed policy revisions are intended as a slight to librarians, and that he doesn't intend to reduce the number of librarians working in county schools.

Park School librarian Laura Amy Schlitz on Monday joined a select group of authors to be twice honored with one of the nation's top prizes for children's literature. Her 2012 Victorian gothic, "Splendors and Glooms," was named one of three Newbery Honor Books by the American Library Association during a morning news conference in Seattle. An honor book essentially is a runner-up; the winner of the 2013 award was Katherine Applegate's "The One and Only Ivan," about an easygoing gorilla who rescues a baby elephant from a rundown mall and a life of neglect.

Gretchen Crews, a retired librarian, teacher and club manager, died Dec. 27 at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center of injuries sustained in a fall at her Towson home. She was 83. Born Gretchen Matthews in Baltimore and raised in Wyman Park, she was the daughter of Howard Matthews, a state auditor, and his wife Gretchen, a home economics teacher and homemaker. She attended Margaret Brent School in Charles Village and was a 1947 Eastern High School graduate. She earned an English degree at Goucher College and later received a library science degree at Towson University She taught English in the city public school system and later was a librarian, both in the school system and at the old Bay College at Howard and Centre streets.

Belinda G. Galbreath, a retired Baltimore County librarian who was an accomplished storyteller, died Sunday of complications from diabetes at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The lifelong Street resident was 59. The daughter of dairy farmers, Belinda Grace Galbreath was born in Baltimore and raised on the family farm in Street. After graduating from North Harford High School in 1970, she earned a bachelor's degree in library science in 1975 from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Vera Welch Hall, a retired Baltimore City public school teacher and librarian, died of heart disease Oct. 6 at the Augsburg Lutheran Home. The West Baltimore resident was 86. Born in Baltimore and raised on Calhoun Street near Franklin Square, she was the daughter of Harry Allen Welch, a chauffeur, and Edna Brown Welch, a homemaker and an early cashier at the Carroll Park golf course. She was a 1943 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School. As a young adult, she performed with the Arena Players . Her daughter, Patrice A. Hall of Brooklyn, N.Y., said her mother determined at age 5 to become a school teacher and graduated from Coppin State Teacher's College in 1947.

Rodney S. Gobrecht, a retired Baltimore County public school librarian and media services specialist, died Monday of lung cancer at his Reisterstown home. He was 76. Mr. Gobrecht was born and raised in Hanover, Pa., where he graduated in 1954 from Eichelberger High School. After graduating from Gettysburg College in 1958, he served in the Army. He later earned a master's degree in library science from the Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Gobrecht began his career in city public schools, and he worked for more than 30 years for Baltimore County public schools as a librarian and media services specialist.

Vera Welch Hall, a retired Baltimore City public school teacher and librarian, died of heart disease Oct. 6 at the Augsburg Lutheran Home. The West Baltimore resident was 86. Born in Baltimore and raised on Calhoun Street near Franklin Square, she was the daughter of Harry Allen Welch, a chauffeur, and Edna Brown Welch, a homemaker and an early cashier at the Carroll Park golf course. She was a 1943 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School. As a young adult, she performed with the Arena Players . Her daughter, Patrice A. Hall of Brooklyn, N.Y., said her mother determined at age 5 to become a school teacher and graduated from Coppin State Teacher's College in 1947.

Helen T. Armstrong, a retired public school librarian, died June 21 of multiple organ failure at Kendal at Longwood retirement community in Kennett Square, Pa. She was 95. Helen Towne Armstrong, the daughter of James Wadsworth Armstrong and Abbie Richmond Armstrong, was born in Baltimore and was raised in a house on the grounds of the Lake Montebello filtration plant, which her father had designed and managed for 25 years. He also designed the dams at Prettyboy and Loch Raven reservoirs, said a niece, Martha Hendrickson of Lutherville.