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Fred Derek Osmond Fielding 14 August 1929 – 25 June 2014

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Fred Derek Osmond Fielding 14 August 1929 – 25 June 2014 Father Leo Hayes with University of Queensland library staff at Oakey. Front row: Father Hayes ; middle row: Nancy Bonnin, Cecil Hadgraft, Derek Fielding ; Back row: Spencer Routh, Father Bob Flynn, Father Kevin Ryan, 1966, UQFL466, image AG/P/113, Fryer Library, The University of Queensland Library. Fred Derek Osmond Fielding 14 August 1929 – 25 June 2014 Derek Fielding was born in Belfast, Derek graduated from Trinity College University Librarian (1958-60), and thence Northern Ireland, of English parents. Both Dublin in 1951, having concentrated on to Perth, where he was Deputy University parents, Harry Osmond Fielding and modern history and political science. He Librarian, 1961-65. Harrison Bryan had left Elaine née Harvey, died before he turned met Audrey May Reynolds, who became The University of Queensland, and after 10. Fortunately he was taken in by the his wife in 1953. (They were to have more than a two-year gap, in June 1965 Masonic Orphan Boys’ School in Dublin. three sons.) He worked in Sheffield City Derek Fielding became James Forsyth In vacations he visited a grandmother Libraries, 1951-57. Librarian of The University of Queensland. living at Sheffield: later he was often The Fieldings migrated to Auckland, The collection at the end of 1964 had eloquent about how often he had crossed where Derek had been appointed Deputy been about 360,000 volumes; by the the Irish Sea. 26 UQ LIBRARY end of 1992, the year of his retiring as member of the FM classical music in committees to help major libraries University Librarian, there were to be over broadcasting station 4MBS. interact well with the National Library 1.5 million volumes. But the last paragraph questions ‘settle of Australia, such as the Australian Derek Fielding had a strong instinct to in Brisbane’. Queensland in 1965 was not Advisory Council on Bibliographical manage (but not overmanage), and to a place for someone keenly interested in Services. After a trip to the United change organisations for the better. public policy and free discussion to ‘settle’. States in early 1968, he had had the As an administrator he was deft both Alex Byrne, in the September 2000 issue cataloguing staff reclassify the whole in teamwork and also in delegation. of Australian Academic and Research University of Queensland collection to Again and again in his career he saw Libraries honouring Derek Fielding, quotes the Library of Congress classification a disordered situation, and in annual Joh Bjelke-Petersen musing on the state (Very many of the titles had already reports, articles in periodicals, or agenda and nation if there were no media: ‘Then been classified to that classification papers of the university, the profession, we would live in peace and tranquillity by LC or elsewhere, but it still proved or government agencies, he described and no one would know anything’. Derek to be a 10 year project). The steadily the disorder, and set out possible worked against censorship, particularly in increasing demand of users was for solutions. If committees were formed, he public and school libraries, and chaired the an increasingly borderless information reported progress to the university or the Library Association of Australia’s Freedom world. Derek, his Technical Services profession or more generally. He always to Read Committee, 1969-74. Librarian Mary Rose McCarthy, and various specialists worked steadily remembered administration involved Derek’s stance on censorship and civil towards this world. The task is endless, human beings. Once, during a time of rights was a fine protection for University but Derek Fielding and his allies some imaginative daring in women’s of Queensland Library services during worked thoughtfully towards it. dress, a staff newsletter set out his student protests for greater civil rights: answer in staid language, but I am sure students waiting to stage an all-night sit-in Many other official positions in Derek that I remember his oral presentation to in the Walter Harrison Law Library were Fielding’s profession are not mentioned a meeting: ‘It is impossible to set out a given permission as long as there was no above. He went briefly to be Pro-Vice- detailed dress code for library staff, but disorder or detriment to the library. Derek Chancellor, Academic Services, at staff are asked to dress in a way that is was President of the Queensland Council The University of Queensland, August no more than momentarily distracting to for Civil Liberties 1975-79. At times the 1992-July 1994. On retirement he readers or to their fellow staff members’. university or the council requested him was made Librarian Emeritus of The When Derek Fielding arrived, much of to be an observer at points of possible University of Queensland. In 1991 he the collection was spread through nearly protest. This included a match during had received the highest award of forty libraries other than the Main Library. a 1971 Springboks Rugby tour during the Australian Library and Information Harrison Bryan, his predecessor, had at apartheid protests: happily, there was Association, the HCL Anderson least established a central card catalogue no violence, except on the Rugby field. Award. More generally, in 1996 he was recording these holdings: Derek planned a At other times his reports to QCCL were honoured as AM, Member of the Order much stronger service amalgamating small much less reassuring. of Australia. libraries into very broad subject divisions. Derek had become a member of The In retirement he had much more time There could be more senior staff available, University of Queensland Senate 1972 for family, including, at the time of his and facilities such as microfilm readers (till 1983). He chaired a committee of death, ten grandchildren. He read, he and photocopying machines more usefully the Senate, reporting on university listened to music, he followed public placed. Derek steadily negotiated for this organisation in 1982. In a PhD thesis on affairs. But in the last year or two growing structure. The Biological Sciences politics and organisational reform at the the once great ability to express his Library was the first success, opening in university, RK Kidston includes him in thoughts clearly was fading. He died at 1976. I remember meeting him in January a list of seven individuals who by their his home on 25 June. 1990 as he walked with great satisfaction ‘dedication and personal ability ... played towards the opening of the last major the most prominent roles in the reform of SPENCER ROUTH retired from The building on his list, Physical Sciences and the University’s system of governance over UQ Library in 1997 after a career Engineering Library. In 1971 Derek’s book the 1969-1982 period’. spanning 38 years of service as had appeared: Australian university library Back to libraries. With an explosion in Reference Librarian and later as administration. student numbers, ease of photocopying, Collection Development Librarian. He We’ll return to the library system later: and electronic transmission of texts, was a member of the Queensland but let’s see him settle (?) in Brisbane. traditional copyright laws were under Working Party of the Australian The Fielding family made their home great strain. Yet again we see Derek dictionary of biography, as well as at Kenmore. Derek had played Rugby setting out the problems, and then very contributing biographical articles to Union in Perth. He was never the person active in copyright law review committees this work. Spencer was awarded an to be a mere spectator, so at Ballymore established by the Commonwealth honorary doctorate from UQ in 2005 in he was also on a referees’ appointments Attorney-General and by the Australian recognition of his distinguished career committee. He played squash; for a time Vice-Chancellors’ Copyright Committee. and contribution to the University he sailed, to share a recreation with his Library. He was awarded an OAM in Communication between whole library growing sons; later again, he played bowls 2011. systems, let alone branch libraries, at St Lucia. Over the years he also became became more and more demanding in increasingly involved in music, and was an electronic world. Derek was prominent a volunteer announcer and committee OBITUARIES FRYER FOLIOS | AUGUST 2014 27.
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