A Tribute to Al Trezza

Al Trezza at his desk

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By By Peggy Sullivan

Alphonse "Al" Trezza was a visionary librarian who made unique contributions to librarianship as an individual, although he often worked with groups or teams in accomplishing his goals. With his death on July 15 at age 88, libraries lost a leader who had singular and significant ability to inspire and energize others to improve library service, to become leaders in the profession, and to engage in innovative librarianship.

One assignment that Trezza took on would in itself merit the honorary membership in ALA he received in 2007: From 1975 to 1980, he served as executive director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS).

In 1975, the commission was foundering, often dismissed by librarians and others as being of negligible importance, perhaps not even worth saving. Several people who were approached to take the position declined. Trezza saw the need for the commission to fulfill its potential and he became its director and led it through the years of numerous state conferences that led to the first White House Conference on Libraries and Information Science in 1979.

Impact in Illinois

Trezza’s achievements, as well as his reputation, as director of the Illinois State Library gave him the status and the rapport with a wide network of librarians and library advocates that made the White House Conference not only a possibility but a success.

His service in Illinois as director of the State Library (1969- 75) is still remembered as benchmark years. Trezza’s generous spirit and leadership while serving as an ALA senior staff manager had been exercised when he agreed to take leadership of an Illinois Library Association committee attempting to effect change in the state library. When that committee made its report to the Illinois secretary of state and state librarian (then, as now, an elected position), several members also recommended that Trezza should be the person to direct the state library in the years when its plans would be implemented.

In taking this position, as at several other points in his career, he was giving up considerable status and security to work at an institution that was not well regarded even by librarians within the state.

Trezza brought to Illinois a dynamism and imagination that led to the firm establishment of multitype library systems and made the state a model for others.

When Trezza came to work at ALA as an associate executive director and as executive secretary of the Library Administration Division (now called the Library Leadership and Management Association) in 1960, he had come to the attention of ALA leaders because of his savvy direction of the Catholic Library Association (CLA), where he had served for four years. To CLA, he brought a sense of professionalism and a commitment to growth and development that were new and appreciated.

His responsibilities at ALA grew as he saw new opportunities and seized them. Notable among these were ALA’s participation in the World’s Fairs in New York and Seattle.

Naïve as they might appear today, even librarians were amazed in the early 1960s to discover that they could go to "a machine," note a few of their individual preferences, and get a reading list designed for them.

The boost that the World’s Fair gave to the young librarian volunteers who worked during them changed the attitudes, vision, and expertise of a generation. The fairs were where Joseph Becker, later an ALA honorary member, began to realize how implementation of technology could really change and improve librarianship.

David Clift (another ALA honorary member) was not a man to envision bold moves, but as ALA executive director he was smart enough to give Trezza his head and let him devote to these activities much of his energy and ability.
Almost on a par with these World’s Fairs’ successes was the work Trezza did in almost literally laying the groundwork for what became the current ALA Headquarters in Chicago. His persistence and vision for the future led him to negotiate directly with John Cardinal Cody and others for the purchase of land in the block that includes 50 East Huron Street, which was owned by the Catholic church.

Although action on the development did not occur until later, it might never have occurred had that land not already been held by ALA.

Trezza had the unusual experience of working at the national level in four settings: CLA, ALA, NCLIS, and the Library of Congress. He took that last position when a new chair of NCLIS made it clear he wanted a new director.

After two years at the Library of Congress, Trezza made his last career move when he became a faculty member at the School of Library and Information Studies at Florida State University.

Harold Goldstein, then administrator of the school at FSU, had deliberately sought a faculty member with strong practical experience, not necessarily a researchoriented, more traditional appointment. Trezza took on this position with his customary energy and commitment. He was almost 70 years old when he served as president of the Florida Library Association, but it was a position he had earned through his work with colleagues and others in the state.

When Trezza was nominated for an honorary degree from Rosary College, I was dean of Rosary’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Someone referred to the controversies in which he had been engaged. These included such things as his association with the survey of metropolitan public libraries as an ALA staff member, his championing of strong library system development in Illinois, and his leaving NCLIS before the White House Conference of 1979.

Trezza has always welcomed and responded to differences of opinion; that should be a characteristic of leaders. At Rosary, he was selected to receive the honorary degree in 1997 in recognition of his accomplishments, as well as with the understanding that controversy can be more of a measure of a person than casual consensus and that an innovator will inevitably encounter controversy. Those experiences were valued at Rosary.

As I wrote two years ago in nominating Al Trezza for honorary membership: "[The] achievements [noted] are the tip, not of an iceberg, but of a benevolent volcano of ability, energy, and commitment. There was a time when ‘Al’ or ‘Big Al’ required no last name for recognition in American librarianship. It is high time for him to receive ALA’s most significant recognition."

American Libraries, Wed, 09/23/2009 - 17:13