Fanny Juliet Passavant, FLA (16 October 1849 – 27 September 1944), was the first Librarian of the University of Leeds, in Leeds, England, having previously been librarian of its predecessor, the Yorkshire College. She was the only woman to hold a position of University Librarian when the college gained university status in 1904. Fanny Passavant, Blue Plaque

Family

Born in 1849, Passavant was a member of a family of Huguenot refugees who settled in Basel and Geneva in the 16th century. Her grandfather was (1751–1827), a pastor of the Reformed Church and childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Career

Passavant was appointed librarian of the Yorkshire College in Leeds in 1885. The college became the University of Leeds in 1904. Initially her role was expected to be clerical, but Passavant worked on the cataloguing and increasing the number of volumes. From an initial catalogue of about 4,000 books to the 85,000 the library contained when she retired, Passavant's role became increasingly professional. Passavant joined the

Library Association The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge management, knowle ...

in 1903 becoming a Fellow later based on her experience and position. Passavant retired in 1919. A lover of choral music, Passavant was a long time member of the

Leeds Philharmonic Society Leeds Philharmonic Chorus is a leading choir in Europe, regularly performing to professional standards with internationally renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors. As well as traditional concerts in Leeds Town Hall, the Chorus has toured an ...

choir and a committee member of the society as well as being a member of the Leeds Musical Festival choir.

Honours

On 30 November 2021

Leeds Civic Trust Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1965. Affiliated to the national charity Civic Voice, its stated purpose is "to stimulate public interest in and care for the b ...

erected a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

to honour Passavant's memory on the wall of the

Great Hall A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, castle or a large manor house or hall house in the Middle Ages, and continued to be built in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries, although by then the family used the great ...

at the University of Leeds where its first library had been located. The university's vice-chancellor, Professor

Simone Buitendijk Simone Elisabeth Buitendijk is a Dutch academic and the vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds. Her research considers women's health and innovations in education. Early life and education Buitendijk was born in The Hague. She studied medi ...

, said at the unveiling:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Passavant, Fanny 1849 births 1944 deaths British librarians People associated with the University of Leeds British women librarians Academic librarians Fellows of the Library Association