Walter Giesbrecht, who spent 32 years guiding York University Libraries (YUL) through digital evolutions, has passed away.
Giesbrecht joined YUL in 1988 as the CD-ROM librarian. He spent his early years integrating the medium at the University, while advancing its adoption among libraries across Canada by publishing his work in several papers.
By the mid-1990s, his interest shifted to another digital revolution: the internet. Giesbrecht created the first YUL website, setting up a web server in his office and building an early online directory of library services. He also helped colleagues navigate the new technology, working on numerous initiatives to support staff learning and adoption.
In his later roles as data librarian and data services librarian, Giesbrecht was known for his ability to help students, staff and faculty find the data and statistics sources they needed for research and assignments. His membership in the Canadian Association of Public Data Users and the International Association for Social Science Information Services and Technology equipped him with additional expertise to draw from.
He is remembered by those who worked with him as a generous, collaborative colleague who was always curious and forward-thinking. He was a mentor to numerous librarians at York University and across Canada.
Giesbrecht is survived by his wife, Roberta, his daughter Sarah and his son-in-law Jason.