Longstanding Frome librarian’s death

Generations of local people will have memories of Shirley Bane, chief librarian at Frome Library for more than 30 years, who died on Wednesday 19th November, aged 86, from Alzheimer’s disease.

Born at Shepton Mallet, her father was the local dentist and her mother a trained pharmacist.

She studied at Ivey School, Shepton and went on to The Loughborough School of Librarianship which opened the doors to a 45-year career within the library service, beginning at Shepton Mallet and Wells, followed with positions at Derby, Dorchester and a period at Bridgwater.

She also worked with the Mobile Library Service all around Somerset, then on to Frome in the early 1960s until her retirement in 1993. She managed Frome Library through the disastrous 1968 flood, having to oversee its relocation to the precinct and then to its present site.

A lifetime love of literature, history, art and music led to an involvement in many local groups, along with directorship of The Frome Museum throughout the 1990s.

She and her husband Edgar lived in Mells. He died in 1986. They had no children. In 2011 she moved from Southwick to live close to family in Keynsham.

She lived life to the full; a strong, intelligent, compassionate and cheerful woman, always eager to travel, learn and have fun with friends and family, whilst being truly charming to all whom she met along the way.

Internment of ashes will be at St. Andrew’s, Mells on Wednesday 17th December at 12.30pm if anybody wishes to attend.