For sundry reasons I missed the first notice of the demise of Nancy Armen Kandoian on May 16, and the many warm and heartfelt posts in her memory which followed. There is nothing I can add to the warm words in these posts, all of which are on the mark. She was simply one of the kindest and most helpful persons I ever encountered. I first met her in the Map Division of the New York Public Library in 1982, just after having moved to New York from Kansas. We were friends for almost 40 years. By the way, her middle name is an indicator of her familial origin. She was of Armenian lineage.

Doug 
On Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 01:14:43 PM EDT, Maggie Long <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


Hello everyone,
This is a follow up to the message Ian Fowler had first posted and to all who have already posted beautifully written messages about Nancy Kandoian, who is dearly missed.
Iris Taylor and I have been working on an electronic sympathy card/booklet, that we will print out and present to the family with your remembrances of Nancy.

If you want to sign the virtual card, please use the link below (look for the blue "sign card" button on the top-right; it will add more pages as each new person signs).

Also, if you previously posted a message on social media (Maps-L), it has already been transferred to this virtual card, but please know, you may sign the card again.

 Please sign before July 10, 2022.

Here is the link:


Ian, thank you again for providing the details on the memorial service for Nancy. It will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Noon (The celebration of life is from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, William G. Basralian Funeral Home, 559 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell, NJ  07649).


Thank you.
Best to you all.
Maggie M. Long and Iris Taylor




Maggie M. Long 

Special Collections Cataloging Librarian 

Wesleyan University, Special Collections & Archives 

Olin Library, 252 Church Street, Middletown, CT 06459 

[log in to unmask] 

(860) 685-3847 

SC&A 

Pronouns: she/her/hers
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Andrew, Paige G. <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2022 10:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Nancy Kandoian (1952 - 2022)
 
Hello Chris,

A memorial resolution was read at both the MAGIRT Cataloging and Classification Committee meeting and Exec Board meeting yesterday in Washington, D.C. at the ALA Annual Conference. A small group did a fantastic job of capturing Nancy both in her professional life and activities and as the person she was. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the room at the end of the CCC meeting. The text of the resolution will be published in the August issue of MAGIRT's base line newsletter if you want to keep an eye out for that. 

Everything you shared about Nancy, and more, is true. It is how she treated everyone she met for as long as I remember. Her many contributions to the map librarianship (and other corners) of the profession were tremendous and yet she never sought attention for them. And of course her deep knowledge of cataloging maps, particularly historical maps and atlases, will be greatly missed. Thank you for sharing your personal memories!

Sincerely,

Paige
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Christopher Alario <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2022 6:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Nancy Kandoian (1952 - 2022)
 
Dear All, 


I haven’t monitoring this list as closely since leaving map librarianship and only just heard about Nancy’s passing at the ALA and I’m utterly heartbroken at hearing this news. Nancy was a warm and welcoming colleague when I worked at the Map Division at NYPL while going to library school, a supportive and invaluable mentor when I got my first job as a map librarian and bothered her for cataloging advice more times than I can recall, and a friend who I always looked forward to catching up with when I came back to NY for my leave. I was looking forward to that this summer but it was not to be. She was one of a kind and I mourn her passing, she will be sorely missed. 


-Chris Alario

Sent from my iPhone

On 25 May 2022, at 10:53 AM, Ian Fowler <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


Dear All,

Thank you so very much for your fond remembrances of Nancy. It has been extremely touching and bolstering for all of us here at NYPL to read your reminiscences during this time of mourning.

I wanted to pass on this information from Nancy's family regarding the funeral arrangements:  We are planning a memorial event for her on Saturday, July 23 at 11am at Basralian Funeral Home in Oradell, NJ - they have promised to open all their many doors and windows and otherwise take Covid precautions for us. It may possibly be live-streamed, as well. More information will be forthcoming on the funeral home website.

Thank you all again from all of us here at NYPL.

-Ian-

On Tue, May 24, 2022 at 12:32 PM McAuliffe,Carol P <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I, too, am absolutely heartbroken. I am so very sad to hear of this news.  Nancy has been a wonderful colleague for so many years.  She was one of the most kind and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  She was also extremely knowledgeable and taught me so much about map cataloging.  She is a legend and I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with her.  This past year she has been one of the regional coordinators for the Online Guide to U.S. Map Collections and she made a huge impact getting map collections around New York City added into the Online Guide.  She was always very humble about her contribution, but her has left an indelible impression on the project.   I will miss her very much.


~Carol

 

Carol McAuliffe, Map Librarian
Associate Chair, Special and Area Studies Collections
George A. Smathers Libraries
University of Florida
(352) 273-2828
[log in to unmask]
she/her

 

 

From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Ian Fowler
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2022 2:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Nancy Kandoian (1952 - 2022)

 

[External Email]

We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved colleague Nancy Kandoian, map librarian at the New York Public Library's Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division has passed away.

 

Nancy started at the Library 44 years ago as a map information assistant, and has been the heart of our Map Division ever since. Over her long and fruitful career at NYPL, Nancy helped shape the field of map librarianship, particularly through her tireless dedication to the practice of map cataloging, and her mentorship and training of countless colleagues both at the Library and across the U.S.  Employing unending patience and devotion to her craft, Nancy’s contributions to librarianship will benefit our patrons for generations to come. 

 

She was the consummate professional, expert at her job, dedicated to the Library’s mission and public service, and always kind, respectful, and thoughtful with both patrons and colleagues. Her generosity was also unparalleled—whether she was sharing her vast knowledge, taking the time to talk with colleagues, or passing out her (incredible) homemade baked treats.  She will be deeply missed.