Highly Subjective: The Librarianship of Winifred Sewell

This article traces the career of Winifred Sewell, noted medical information professional, from her early days in the pharmaceutical industry through her career at the National Library of Medicine and her later years of consultancy, research, and teaching. In addition to her known contributions to major bibliographic tools and publications, including Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), Sewell’s overarching vision of effective librarianship is highlighted. Her commitment to the importance of the subjective understanding of patron information needs is illustrated by examples from her life, her papers, and the perspectives of colleagues and students.