‘DR BRENDA MOON’

The fifth in the series of “Women In the Stacks”.

Dr Brenda Moon (1931 - 2011) was one of the first women research librarians in the UK and the first in Scotland, appointed to the University of Edinburgh in 1980. She is recognised as a leader in automation and digitisation for higher education libraries and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

With a passionate interest in Victorian women travellers, Moon undertook an MPhil researching botanist Marianne North whilst still working at the university library and completed a PhD following her retirement, which explored the contributions of Egyptologist Amelia B Edwards. Throughout her life in Edinburgh, she workshopped at the Augustine United Church on George IV Bridge near the National Library of Scotland.

When reading about her story, I kept finding odd connections between our lives - St Hilda’s College, Oxford, the Bodleian Library, Sheffield and then Edinburgh University - I knew I wanted to honour Dr Moon with this shawl.

The design is in bands of stocking, garter and textured slip stitches which recreate the glass and concrete storeys of the university library at George Square in Edinburgh. One side of this triangular shawl has additional increases, creating a longer side for draping across the body. Both of these features contribute to the effect of this shawl reminding you of an open book.