University Libraries faculty Emerita Marjorie Murfin passed away February 26. Professor Murfin, who retired in 2002, will be remembered for her work as a reference librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries and serving as a mentor for several new faculty members over the years.
Professor Murfin was recognized for her outstanding instruction in using library services and in carrying out research. Faculty members frequently sought out her help when navigating library resources. She was also known for the evaluation tool she developed for measuring reference service. The Reference Transaction Assessment Instrument was used by 368 public and academic libraries across North America.
Professor Murfin was the recipient of numerous honors throughout her career, including 1989 with the Alumna of the Year Award from Kent State University and the Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award from the American Library Association.
Following her death, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees honored Professor Murfin with this recognition:
The Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University expresses its sorrow regarding the death on February 26, 2018, of Marjorie Murfin, Professor Emerita and former reference librarian in University Libraries.
Professor Murfin, who worked at University Libraries from 1975-2002, was recognized throughout her career for excellence in the performance of library-related teaching. Her techniques and outcomes were applauded by colleagues, faculty and students alike, who found Professor Murfin’s instruction in the use of library services and conducting research to be exemplary. Her research expertise was well known; faculty members often asked for her by name when seeking library assistance.
She developed an evaluation instrument for measuring reference service — the Reference Transaction Assessment Instrument (RTAI) — which began being utilized in 1983. Later, joined by Wisconsin Library School professor and colleague Charles Bunge, the RTAI was eventually used in 200 public libraries and 168 academic libraries in the United States and Canada.
Professor Murfin was also well known for her extensive publishing in the field of library science, which she shared through lectures and presentations at a number of professional conferences. Professor Murfin’s research work was recognized in 1989 with the Alumna of the Year Award from Kent State University.
Her commitment to the profession was further demonstrated through Professor Murfin’s involvement in numerous library organizations, including the American Library Association’s Reference Services Division, the Academic Library Association of Ohio and the American Association of University Professors.
Professor Murfin was also recognized for her work in 1987, when she received the Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award, given by the Reference and Adult Services Division of the American Library Association, for her distinguished contributions to reference librarianship.
On behalf of the university community, the Board of Trustees expresses to the family of Professor Marjorie Murfin its deepest sympathy and sense of understanding of their loss. It is directed that this resolution be inscribed upon the minutes of the Board of Trustees and that a copy be tendered to her family as an expression of the board’s heartfelt sympathy and appreciation.
Professor Murfin's body of work, her teaching skills, and her wide-ranging contributions to the field of librarianship have benefitted students, faculty and colleagues throughout her career.