John Nichols Berry III (June 12, 1933 – October 12, 2020) was an American librarian who was an editor at ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' for over fifty years. He died on October 10, 2020, at age 87. Berry began working at ''Library Journal'' in 1964, becoming editor-in-chief in 1969, succeeding

Eric Moon Eric Edward Moon (6 March 1923 – 31 July 2016) was a librarian and editor who had a shaping influence on American librarianship in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s as editor-in-chief of ''Library Journal'', president of the American Librar ...

. He retired in 2006, but continued to write his column ''Blatant Berry'', in which he advocated for progressive library values. Prior to coming to ''Library Journal'', Berry was editor of the

Massachusetts Library Association The Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) is the Massachusetts, United States professional library association that "advocates for libraries, librarians, and library staff, defends intellectual freedom, and provides a forum for leadership, comm ...

publication ''Bay State Librarian'', which won the H. W. Wilson Library Periodical Award. Berry received the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to librarianship. He taught library science at many graduate schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, Dominican University, Simmons College, and Louisiana State University, and he was active in the American Library Association's Social Responsibilities Round Table. The

Association for Library and Information Science Education Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

awarded him the Service to ALISE Award in 1993.

Early life and education

Berry was born to Mr. and Mrs. John N. Berry Jr. in

Newport, New Hampshire Newport is a town in and the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. It is west-northwest of Concord, the state capital. The population of Newport was 6,299 at the 2020 census. A covered bridge is in the northwest. The area ...

. He received a BA from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

and an MLS from

Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky * Har ...

. Berry was married to Louise (née Parker) Berry, director of Connecticut's Darien Public Library for 35 years until her retirement. The couple had one child, and he had two from a previous marriage.

''Library Journal''

Berry wrote many articles and columns for ''Library Journal''. The tribute, "Remembering John N. Berry III", which appeared in ''Library Journal'' after his death includes many accolades for his writing, mentoring, and teaching. A few citations from his many writings are listed below: *"Equity & Education for All". 2019. *"Of, By, and For the People". 2018. *"To calm the angry or argumentative: Take on "the Burden." 2017. *"Eric Moon dies at 93." 2016. *"Courage in Crisis."2015. Berry captured the changes in policies and practices of U.S. libraries as they moved from paper to digital. He identified political forces that influenced the national library infrastructure from the White House Conferences on Libraries and Information Services to the

National Commission on Libraries and Information Science The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was an agency in the United States government between 1970 and 2008. The activities of the Commission were consolidated into the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Record ...

(1970–2008) to the

Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mis ...

.Berry, John N. 2005. "The Post-Martin Era". ''Library Journal'' 130 (11): 42–44.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, John N. American librarians American magazine editors American journalists 1933 births 2020 deaths People from Newport, New Hampshire