Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

370 MILLENNIUM L ibrary and information scientists like Annabel K. Stephens help bridge the gap between people, information and technology. Dr. Stephens was first a public librarian and later became a professor of library science. She managed libraries and developed collections, taught people to find and use information, and recommended library materials for educational and recreational reading. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Mississippi University for Women in 1968, a Master of Library Science from George Peabody College in 1970, and a Doctor of Library Science from Columbia University in 1988. She began her professional career as a librarian for the Muscle Shoals Regional Library from 1968 to 1970 and worked at the Memphis Public Library from 1970 to 1979, receiving a promotion to branch manager in 1972. After Dr. Stephens relocated to Mississippi, her career continued to flourish as she became director of the Jennie Stephens Smith Library. In 1985 she delved into teaching, first as an assistant professor and in 1995 as an associate professor at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies. She also acted as a planning consultant for the Homewood Public Library in 2006 and for the Gardendale Public Library in 2007. After retiring from the university in 2007, Dr. Stephens continues to teach as an adjunct and volunteer for her church’s food pantry, Hospice of West Alabama, and other community organizations. Dr. Stephens has written articles published in professional journals and authored two books. She is a member of the American Library Association, the Reference & User Services Association, the Public Library Association, the Association for Library and Information Science Educators, and the Alabama Library Association. Throughout her career, she has received many accolades, including the Alabama Library Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Eminent Librarian Award and Humanitarian Award; the College of Communication and Information Sciences Knox Hagood Award; and the Steven L. Mann and Ruth Blackburn Awards. In 2015 Dr. Stephens was inducted into her college’s Hall of Fame, and in 2016 she received the national Beta Phi Mu Award for Distinguished Service in Library Education. Annabel K. Stephens Library and Information Scientist (Retired) Northport, AL