Honorary Treasurers
Honorary Treasurers of the Scottish Library Association (SLA) later Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS). Hon. Treasurers served the post as long as they were re-elected / appointed by the AGM until 2011 when the rules and regulations changed. The Honorary Treasurer is now elected by the members for a 2 year period from 1st December, they may stand for re-election.
The information on Honorary Treasurers from 1912 to present was found using information compiled by Audrey Walker and from previous SLA and CILIPS newsletters.
1912-1914 James Craigie
Librarian Perth
1914-1930 W. Storrie Beveridge
Librarian Edinburgh
1930-1940 James H. Stewart, ALA.
Librarian Edinburgh
1941-1948 Miss J. M. Allen, MA, FLA.
Librarian Edinburgh
Alexander Dow and Rt Hon Thomas Johnson
1949-1953 Alexander Dow, FLA.Librarian & Clerk Coatbridge
“Mr. Dow is sometimes spoken of as the most gadget-minded librarian in Scotland, but he holds very strong opinions on the development of labour-saving devices to streamline the necessary organisation as much as possible.”
-SLA News, August 1958
Bill Alison and Richard Buchanan
1954-1958 William A. G. Alison, FLA.
Librarian Edinburgh
“The strength of any association lies in its membership.”
-William A. G. Alison August 1955
1959-1964 William Scobbie, OBE, JP, ALA.
William Scobbie receiving the Scroll of Freedom of the Burgh from Provost William Ferguson
Burgh Librarian, Airdrie
Given the Freedom of the Burgh of Airdrie 1971
It is a rare (if not unique) occasion for a serving librarian to be offered the Freedom of his Burgh, so the ceremony which took place in Airdrie Town Hall on 21st December last when just such an honour was bestowed upon the Burgh Librarian is indeed something to shout about. According to the invitation card, the gentleman to be created a burgess was Honorary Sheriff William Scobbie, A.L.A., J.P.-a somewhat formal and unfamiliar description for the breezy, friendly colleague we know as Bill Scobbie, but his previous appointment as a Justice of Sheriff might be regarded as preliminaries to the crowning honour of the Freedom ceremony, since all three stem from the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow townsfolk.”
-SLA News, January/February 1972
1965-1973 Walter McK. Murray, ALA.
County Librarian Clackmannanshire
Walter McKissock Murray was born and educated in Motherwell. On leaving school in November 1928 he entered the library service of Lanarkshire County in Hamilton when the late Alfred Ogilvie was County Librarian. He served with the Royal Air Force at home and in Europe from 1940 to 1945 and thereafter continued his career in Lanarkshire County till May 1949 when he was appointed to his present post as County Librarian with the new District Council on the re-organisation of Local Governement Scotland.
He served on the County Libraries Group of the Library Association for a few years and was also a member and one-time President of the County Library Circle (Scotland). He was first elected to the Scottish Library Association Council in 1957, carrying out the duties of Hon. Treasurer of the Association from January 1965 till December 1974, continuing as a Vice-President of the Association in 1975 and 1976, and now as President in 1977.
-SLA News, January/February 1977
1974-1976 James A. Tait MA, MSc, FLA
James A Tait, known to many as Senior Lecturer in Classification at the Department of Librarianship, University of Strathclyde, has retired from his post earlier than expected owing to illness. Jimmy started his career in Edinburgh Public Libraries in 1943. After serving in various departments he was Chief Cataloguer from 1953 to 1960 and managed to find time to lecture on classification and cataloguing at evening classes. Having spent a short period at Loughborough he came back to Scotland to the School of Librarianship, firstly at Pitt Street, and later at the University of Strathclyde. He has serviced the Scottish Library Association in many capacities including Publications Officer, Honorary Treasurer and Council Member and is joint editor of Library Resources in Scotland. Many librarians bear testimony to Jimmy’s dedication to classification and cataloguing skills and we all wish him better health and many years to keep a watchful eye on development in ‘class and cat.’
-SLA News, September/October 1980
1977-1980 Andrew Miller, FLA.
Librarian Glasgow
Andrew Miller, former Director of Libraries and Archives, Glasgow City Council, was one the outstanding public librarians of his generation. Born in Hamilton, he started his long career in Hamilton Public Library in 1954. After serving two years in National Service, he returned to Hamilton, completed his professional qualifications and took up the post of branch librarian. He moved to Glasgow in 1962, working in the Mitchell Library when, in 1965, he was appointed Depute Burgh Librarian of Motherwell. In 1967 he became a Fellow of the Library Association.
In 1974 he returned to Glasgow Corporation as Depute City Librarian under Bill Alison. Following local government reorganisation in 1975 he was appointed Depute Director of Libraries for the new Glasgow District Council. In 1981, on Bill Alison’s retiral, he became Director of Libraries, a post he held until, as Director of Libraries and Archives in the new unitary authority of Glasgow City Council, he retired in 1998.
-SLA News, December 2006
1981-1985 N. W. Turner, ALA, FBIM, FSA Scot.
1986-1999 Gavin N. Drummond, MBE, ALA
Gavin Drummond and Dennis Groark with finalists for the Glaxo Trophy.
Gavin started his library work in Dunfermline, then moved to Perth and Kinross where he had a break while attending library school in Glasgow, in those long distant days when there were only two members of staff. After a short stay in Perth City he moved to Bedfordshire for an enjoyable five years as Area Librarian, first at Houghton Regis, a London overspill area, and then at Dunstable. He moved back to Scotland in 1970 to Aberdeenshire, and had four ‘lively’ years at a time of considerable expansion of all aspects of that service, with new branches, additional mobile libraries, and great school library developments. Working there with the late Neil McCorkindale was, Gavin considers, a great experience.
1973 saw the move to Angus, first as County Librarian where he was the first professional librarian in post, then in 1974 as Director of Libraries and Museums for Angus District.
-SLA News, January/February 1985
2000-2003 Alastair R. Johnston, BA, FSA Scot, MCLIP
“I am sure you will agree with me that libraries have already played a major role in making Scotland’s people both smarter and more successful.”
-Alastair R. Johnston, June 2005
2004-2009 G. Alistair Campbell, MA, BCom, MCLIP
“ In short, I am incredibly fortunate to work for a local authority and communities which recognise the importance of public libraries in their daily lives. Professionally I am privileged to be working in libraries at one of the most exciting times in their history.”
-G. Alistair Campbell, February 2003
2010-2017 Audrey Walker, BA, MCLIP 
Audrey has provided 27 years of service to CILIPS, as Honorary Treasurer, Council member, Board member, and CILIPS representative to CILIP Council. The CILIPS Chair, Duncan Wright, presented a CILIPS medal to Audrey at the 2018 CILIPS conference in recognition of her long service to CILIPS and her work in creating the content for the CILIPS Notable People webpages.