Turner, Gilbert, 1911-1983

Gilbert Turner was born in Bournemouth, England in 1911. He was educated at the University of London General School and also received the Fellowship of the Library Association. Turner started working in libraries in 1927, and spent his first eighteen years working in Bournemouth, Twickenham and Chelsea. In 1946, he became the Borough Librarian of the London Borough of Richmond on the Thames. He had a love of classical music and was an instrumental force in bringing record collections to the public libraries under his administration. Remarking on Turner's retirement in 1973, a newspaper noted that he was "one of the last of an older school of public librarians" as a librarian of his day "had to be a scholar, a historian, a literary enthusiast, an art expert and an administrator." Upon retirement, he moved from Windsor, England and settled in Y Rhiw, Gwynedd, Wales. Turner spoke Welsh, and spent these years gardening both fruits and flowers. He was also a staunch Roman Catholic and lifelong bachelor. Turner died on February 9, 1983.