Except for a few years, Librarian Lillian G. Wallis worked for the Hennepin County Libraries from 1951 to her retirement in 1987. She also served as a librarian for the U.S. Army's Special Services Section in West Germany from 1960-1962. Even after her retirement, Wallis volunteered for a Minneapolis literacy program and continued to be a tireless defender of library services.

Lillian Wallis passed away on Sept. 27, 2010, at which time $646,000 of her estate was bequeathed to the Hennepin County Library.