Retired library dean Mary Lee Sweat began her career at Loyola as a serial librarian in November 1971.

“That means I handled journals and magazine subscriptions. Of course, back then there was nothing electronic,” Sweat said.

Mary Lee Sweat remembers a time before the Monroe Library when she had to catalog library books manually.

“Sweat was already head of the library when I got here. I believe she worked her way up to dean. When you do that, you have to work hard,” said Kate Adams, chair and professor of the English department.

“I became library director in May of 1981; then around 1992 the title changed, and I became dean of the library,” Sweat said.

“Becoming dean just kind of happened. I realized I really enjoyed administrative type of work, looking at the big picture and involving people to reach a common goal,” Sweat said.

“I always felt like she knew and appreciated everyone’s jobs and work in the library,” Adams said. “She was always reserved. There are different kinds of leaders, and she was a quiet leader. At the end of the day, I think she was more persuasive than other kinds of leaders.”

When Sweat began at Loyola, she worked in the old library, which will soon be the Jesuit Center.

“The old library had been built as somewhat of an old-fashioned library,” Sweat said.

Sweat said that when she began at Loyola, there was already some talk of building a new library.

“Tulane had built the Howard Tilton Library a few years back, and in comparison, Loyola’s library didn’t look so good,” Sweat said.

Sweat was able to work with architects, faculty, staff and administration to design a library that would be most beneficial to the Loyola community.

“Because of location, we were able to have a broader vision to make it an intellectual center, social center and Loyola community center of life. The library is becoming more of a social center, but the intellectual center is still very important.

“The Monroe Library has done that,” Sweat said.

Sweat brought in an educational architect, a person who understands how students use space and how to build a library that would be up-to-date and student-friendly, said Laurie Phillips, associate dean of Technical Services.

“That really paid off. The library exploded with student use,” Phillips said.

“She (Sweat) was amazing, she was a great mentor, she kept our organization fresh and kept us in the mindset of continually seeing the library as a new building,” Phillips said.

In 1999, Sweat’s work paid off when the J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library opened its doors.

“The highlight of my career was being able to participate in the building of the Monroe Library,” Sweat said.

“I have an image of her that a former college student once told me. Sweat sat in the middle of the circulation desk area, and you could always see her working away. It was like she was the captain direction the library, because she really did drive that library and made it a wonderful place,” Adams said.

Yvonne Cappel-Vckery can be reached at [email protected]