Charles Alpin Toase T


he distinguished career of Charles Alpin Toase began when his teacher at Raynes Park Grammar School, spotting his potential, appointed him School Librarian. After that, there was no doubt that he would apply for a job at his local public library, Wimbledon, where he soon became Reference Librarian and later Senior Reference Librarian for the London Borough of Merton. Charles was probably best known for his thorough reviews of infor- mation resources, which began in 1959 with his list of Reference Books for the Home, to be fol- lowed by Which Shall I Buy? This sparked off the influential Basic


Stock for the Reference Library, co-authored by AJ Walford. Charles’ association with AJ Walford continued with Charles becoming assistant editor for the first edition of Walford’s Guide to Reference Materials.


In 1956, Charles had taken over Reference Notes from AJ Walford, a regular column in the Library Association Record, and he continued this until 1970. A committee member of RSIS and then ISG (and later Vice Chairman), Charles’ regular column in Refer from its first issue in 1980 until 2003 and entitled Reference Books You May Have Missed, became essential reading for many a Librarian. Dubbed the Reference Librarian’s Reference Librarian, Charles was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 1993 and


Mary Toase M


ary Toase began her library career in the public sector but was to diversify into other areas over the years. Straight from school, the young Mary Hodges as she was then, began working at the small branch library of Wimbledon Park, soon becoming their Branch Librarian. From there, she moved to the larger Wimbledon Library and after a while was in charge of the Lending Department.


Mary met Charles Toase in the libraries, they married in 1953 and were to have nearly 68 happy years together. When Mary fell pregnant, she left Wimbledon Library, and once her daughter Alison was a toddler, her career took a different turn. With little Alison to “help”,


Mary fulfilled a fortune teller’s prediction to her mother, that Mary would be working “surrounded by paper”. This mass of paper eventually became the Guide to Current Periodicals, for Mary was its editor in 1961 and 1962. From there, Mary made the move into special libraries. Between 1964 and 1968, she was Assistant Librarian of the Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants. Subse- quent positions were all in medical libraries. As Librarian


54 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL


of the Royal College of Midwives, Mary was keen to pass on library skills to her potential readers and to this end, wrote a series of articles in the Midwives Chronicle in 1979. Later, an interest in homeopathy became a passion when she took up the post of Librarian at the Research Council for Complementary Medicine (RCCM). As her passion grew, her position morphed into Executive Secretary of the Council. Mary’s bibliographies and current awareness services now included Complimentary Medicine Index and Bibliography on Inter-Professional Education (CAIPE). She was also Assistant Editor of Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Mary retired from RCCM in 1989 and rediscovered her early love of painting. She was to enjoy attending art classes, displaying her artwork, and making all her own greetings cards until her failing health led her to becoming more and more infirm and dependant on others. She died, aged 90, on 22 July 2021, just 17 days after her beloved husband, Charles. Mary is survived by her daughter Alison and grand- daughters Sian, Bethan and Gwen.


Mary and Charles were devoted to each other in life and are now together again in peace. Donations in memory of both Mary and Charles, can be made to Marie Curie via Alison’s Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Alison-Lloyd-Wiggins


Alison Lloyd-Wiggins (daughter) January-February 2022


received the Walford Award in 2000. Looking back, he said that his craziest venture, because of the monumental scale of the task, was as series editor of the Bibliography of British Newspapers.


Back in 1991, his retirement from Wimbledon Library was simply an excuse to carry on working, albeit along a slightly different path as a publishing consultant. He had been an advisor for the British Library and the Department for Edu- cation and Science.


A member of the Wimbledon Society since c 1964, Charles also threw himself into helping the Wimbledon Museum, firstly as Curator of Manuscripts and then Chairman, as well as being co-founder of the Museum’s Local History Group. He was able to combine his reference skills, knowledge of local history and his remarkable memory (well into his 90s) to become a formidable member of the Society. His A-Z of Wimbledon, published in 2018, will be a lasting memorial to his work in the field although, as he said, “That was just scratching the surface.


Charles passed away on 5 July 2021, aged (almost) 94. He hadn’t stopped working until his very last few months, when his illness took over his body. He was survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Mary, and by daughter Alison and granddaughters Sian, Bethan and Gwen.


Sadly, Mary passed away just 17 days after Charles. Charles and Mary were devoted to each other in life and are now together again in peace.


Alison Lloyd-Wiggins (daughter)


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