Albert Valentine Mate

His many friends at Concordia were sorry to hear of the death on Dec. 20 of former Director of Libraries Al Mate.

Al received his BA in English literature and history from the University of Western Ontario, and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan. He also earned diplomas from the Banff School of Management, Carleton University, University of Maryland, McGill University and the Université de Besançon.

Al spent almost 30 years with the University of Windsor Library, including five years, 1980 to 1985, as University Librarian.

He then came to Concordia, where he served as Director of Libraries until 1990, when he took early retirement due to ill health.

Al influenced the development of Concordia’s libraries in a number of ways but perhaps the two most visible were improved communication between the library’s senior management and staff, and the development and improvement of library space. He was central to the planning for the Webster Library in the McConnell Building and the review and redevelopment of the Vanier Library at Loyola.

He was also an accomplished violist and an active member of a number of professional and amateur orchestral groups in the Windsor-Detroit area.

Upon hearing of Al’s death, Professor Frank Chalk, who was chair of the Concordia University Library Committee during Al’s tenure as director, said, “Al Mate was one of those library directors you could always count on to have his priorities right. Whenever the crunch came, he put the good of students, faculty and librarians ahead of his personal welfare and career opportunities.

“Cultured, widely read, serious about music, he represented the highest traditions of librarianship at Concordia University. He will be mourned by many faculty members at Concordia who valued his courage, his grit, and his professionalism.”

Al is survived by his wife of 33 years, Eileen Mate, to whom we extended our profound sympathies.

Donations may be made in Al’s name to the Healthy Heart Program, Saint Paul’s Hospital Foundation, Suite 164, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 1Y6. Condolences can be sent to Eileen at eileen_mate@telus.net.