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Angus McGill Mowat

Angus McGill Mowat
B.A., M.A.
Mowat c. 1930
Mowat c. 1930
BornAngus McGill Mowat
(1892-11-19)November 19, 1892
Trenton, Ontario, Canada
DiedSeptember 21, 1977(1977-09-21) (aged 84)
Northport, Ontario, Canada
Resting placeNorthport, Ontario
OccupationAuthor, soldier, librarian
LanguageEnglish
NationalityCanadian
EducationEnglish literature
Alma materQueen's University, University of Saskatchewan
GenreNovel
SpouseHelen (Thomson) Mowat
PartnerBarbara Hutchinson
ChildrenFarley Mowat, John Mowat, Rosemary Mowat
RelativesJohn Mowat, John Bower Mowat, Farley Mowat, Claire Mowat, John McDonald Mowat, Sir Oliver Mowat
Military career
Nickname(s)Squib
Allegiance Canada
Service / branch Canadian Army
Years of service1914–1917 (wounded), 1940–1944
RankMajor
UnitThe Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
Battles / warsWorld War I : Vimy Ridge, World War II
Awards
RelationsJohn McDonald Mowat, Farley Mowat

Angus McGill Mowat, B.A., M.A., (November 19, 1892 – September 21, 1977) was a Canadian librarian who initiated and contributed to the continuing improvement of the library systems in Saskatoon and Ontario, from the 1920s through to the 1960s.

During his post World War I career he held a number of positions as chief librarian at Trenton, Belleville, Windsor, and Saskatoon, before being appointed in 1937 as Chief Librarian and Inspector of Public Libraries for the province of Ontario.[1] He remained head of the provincial library office – a part of the Ministry of Education – until his retirement in 1960. He was a dynamic and positive force for library progress in Ontario, especially his advocacy for county and regional library service in rural and northern parts of the province.[2]

Throughout his career he encouraged better quality collections for adults and children,[3] professional staffing and library training, the necessity for improved finances, more efficient management by trustees and librarians, and upgraded or new buildings. He believed strongly that the 'personal touch' was essential for library service and that local effort, supplemented by provincial assistance, was the key ingredient in advancing local library development.[4] His personal efforts to establish a public library at Moose Factory stimulated improvements for aboriginal library service on reservations throughout Canada.[5]

  1. ^ G.F.R. [George F. Rogers] (1940). "Major Angus Mowat, Inspector of Public Libraries," OLR 24, 3 (Aug. 1940), 259–60.
  2. ^ Lorne Bruce (2011). Places to Grow: Public Libraries and Communities in Ontario, 1930–2000 (Guelph, privately printed, 2011), chapters 2–5."Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Barbara Rollock (1988). Public Library Services for Children. Library Professional Publications – Children – 228 pages [1]
  4. ^ Stephen F. Cummings (1986). "Angus McGill Mowat and the Development of Ontario Public Libraries, 1920–1960," Ph.D. diss., [2]
  5. ^ Stephen Cummings (1986). "On the Compass of Angus Mowat: Books, Boats, Soldiers and Indians," in Peter F. McNally, ed., Readings in Canadian Library History, 245-58. Ottawa: Canadian Library Association, 1986.

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