Henriette Avram facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henriette Avram
Born	Henriette Regina Davidson October 7, 1919 New York City, United States
Died	April 22, 2006(2006-04-22) (aged 86) Miami, Florida
Alma mater	Hunter College George Washington University
Known for	Developing the MARC format (Machine Readable Cataloging)
Spouse(s)	Herbert Avram
Children	3
Scientific career
Fields	Computer science

Henriette Davidson Avram (born October 7, 1919 – died April 22, 2006) was a smart computer programmer and systems analyst. She created the MARC format (Machine Readable Cataloging). This is an international data standard for library information. It helps libraries organize and share details about books and other items.

Henriette Avram developed the MARC format in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She worked at the Library of Congress. Her work changed how libraries operate. It made it possible for libraries to use computers for many tasks. It also allowed them to share information electronically.

Early Life and Family

Henriette Regina Davidson was born in Manhattan, New York, on October 7, 1919. Her father sold watch parts. Her mother was a reporter for a newspaper. When Henriette was a child, she loved reading. She spent many Saturdays in neighborhood stores that had small public libraries.

Henriette dreamed of finding a cure for cancer. This disease affected many people in her family. So, she studied pre-medicine at Hunter College. In 1941, she married Herbert Mois Avram. He joined the Navy. After World War II, Herbert Avram was a decorated officer.

The Avrams had three children: Marcie, Lloyd, and Jay. They lived in New York until 1951. Then, Herbert Avram got a job with the National Security Agency in Washington, D.C.. He also worked for the CIA. He later helped create Closed Captions for television.

Starting Her Career

The family first moved to Arlington. Later, they moved to Silver Spring. Once settled in Virginia, Henriette started a new path. She began studying mathematics at George Washington University. In 1952, she joined the NSA.

Working with the IBM 701 computer, she quickly became one of the first computer programmers. Henriette remembered this time as exciting. She said learning programming back then was difficult. You had to teach yourself with limited tools. Few people became programmers.

In the early 1960s, she started working for private companies. She worked for American Research Bureau and then Datatrol Corporation. Both jobs involved systems analysis and programming. At Datatrol, she first worked with libraries. She was asked to design a computer science library. To do this, she read many library science books. She also hired a librarian to help her. This project introduced her to the Library of Congress Card Division Service.

She also consulted with Frederick Kilgour. He was important in creating the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). She helped with OCLC's first try at computerizing library information. In March 1965, Henriette Avram heard about a job opening at the Library of Congress. She was hired as a systems analyst.

Working at the Library of Congress

The American Library Association called Avram a "librarian by achievement." She learned a lot at the Library of Congress. She often called it "the Great Library." People noted her small size, New York accent, and strong drive. She was also a great leader. She helped computer experts and librarians work together. She learned about library problems and made them her own.

Her first task at the Library of Congress (LC) was to study cataloging data. This was to prepare it for computer processing. She learned that she needed to understand the subject well before using computers. So, Avram and two librarians studied the information on a catalog record.

Each piece of information needed a separate mathematical algorithm. There were millions of items in the catalog, in many languages. She also studied library rules. This helped her learn about organizing library information. After she fully understood the records, she created a system. This system used "tags" for names, "indicators" for instructions, and "subfields" for parts.

Avram's job title at LC changed in 1967. She became Assistant Coordinator of Information Systems. In this role, she continued to lead the MARC Pilot Project. This project finished in June 1968. She also directed the MARC Distribution Service, which started in March 1969. She began the RECON Pilot Project, but it was never finished. The RECON Project aimed to convert old materials into MARC format. Because LC did not fully support this, libraries across the country did this work separately. Avram felt this lack of support was the "single most disappointing experience" of her career.

In 1969, Avram attended an international meeting. This meeting helped create the International Standard for Bibliographic Description for Monograph Publications (ISBD(M)). A year later, Avram became Chief of the MARC Development Office at LC. She continued to lead the MARC and RECON projects. She was also in charge of all computer automation for LC's processing.

Her duties grew even more in 1976. She became the Director of the Network Development Office. She coordinated library networking and standards at national and international levels. She also chaired the LC Network Advisory Committee for over ten years. At this time, she also chaired the IFLA Working Group on Content Designators. This group used ISBD to create UNIMARC, the international version of MARC.

By 1980, Avram managed 700 staff in LC's Processing Department. As the first Director for Processing Systems, Networks and Automation Planning, she handled networking, automation, and library products. Three years later, her staff doubled. She became Assistant Librarian for Processing Services. She was in charge of cataloging, acquisitions, and planning for networks and automation. She held this job for six years. Avram said she stayed at LC because she "loved the place, the people, and the challenge." When she retired in 1992, Avram was the Associate Librarian for Collections Services. She managed 1,700 staff. They handled acquisitions, cataloging, preservation, and special materials.

The MARC Format

MARC stands for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. It was the way old paper card catalogs were turned into computer catalogs. This computer system made it much easier for libraries to lend books to each other. It also helped create library networks. Avram was key in changing librarianship into information science.

Avram described MARC as a collection of formats, publications, and procedures. It also includes people, standards, systems, and equipment. She said it has grown over the years. It helped develop library automation and information networks worldwide. MARC has changed many times. It started with Planning Memorandum Number Three. Then came MARC 1, and finally MARC 21, which is used today. Avram wrote a book about MARC in 1975.

To make sure MARC was used everywhere, she worked with the American Library Association and the American National Standards Institute. They made it a national standard in 1971. Avram then worked to make MARC an International Organization for Standardization standard in 1973. Because of her efforts, MARC is now used for library automation and sharing information around the world. Avram also helped plan the Linked Systems Project. She worked hard to spread the idea of using international standards. This helped connect different computer systems. Even though she never planned to be a librarian, Avram became a very important person in library automation.

Retirement and Legacy

After retiring, Avram and her husband moved to California, Maryland. They stayed active with St. Mary's College. Henriette often invited Library of Congress officials to speak there.

Her husband, Herbert, died on January 15, 2006. They had been married for 64 years. Henriette then moved to Florida. She died of cancer at Miami's Baptist Hospital on April 22, 2006. She was 86 years old.

Henriette Avram once said, "I'd like to be remembered as a good manager, as having done something that was significant in this world, of service to others." Her strong leadership and great contributions to library automation show that she achieved this goal. She was proud of her work, but she always felt there was more to do.

Awards and Honors

• 1971 Margaret Mann Citation in Cataloging and Classification from the American Library Association
• 1974 Federal Women's Award
• 1977 Honorary Doctorate of Science from Southern Illinois University
• 1979 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year from the Association of College and Research Libraries
• 1980 Achievement in Library and Information Technology Award from Library and Information Technology Association
• 1981 Melvil Dewey Medal from the American Library Association
• 1986 Appreciation Award from the National Central Library of Taipei, Taiwan
• 1987 Honorary Fellow of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
• 1988 Joseph W. Lippincott Award
• 1989 Distinguished Executive Service Award from the Senior Executives Association Professional Development League
• 1989 National Information Standards Organization Fellow
• 1990 John Ames Humphrey/Forest Press Award
• 1990 Professional Award from the Special Libraries Association
• 1991 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Rochester Institute of Technology
• 1992 Distinguished Service Award from the Library of Congress
• 1992 Meritorious Service Award from the American National Standards Institute
• 1993 Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 1997 Honorary Life Membership in the American Library Association

See also

A robot, symbolizing technology and automation in libraries.

• In Spanish: Henriette Avram para niños