Hart was born in Winnipeg and grew up in Nova Scotia. She received an arts degree from Dalhousie University and a library science degree from McGill University. She later moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she became a librarian at Memorial University in 1972, working with her mentor Agnes O'Dea. Four years later, she became head of the university's Centre for Newfoundland Studies. The CNS acquires books, maps, and documents relevant to Newfoundland and Labrador; while Hart was head, the Centre's collection expanded considerably, from roughly 20,000 volumes to 60,000. Also during Hart's tenure, the CNS grew to include an archive, which complemented the centre's book collection. Another notable accomplishment came in 1986, when the CNS was instrumental in the creation of The Bibliography of Newfoundland, a two-volume scholarly work published by the University of Toronto Press in association with Memorial University. Hart retired on January 1, 1998.
Awards
Member of the Order of Canada. Awarded on October 29, 2004, invested on September 9, 2005, for her contributions to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her citation states: "As Head of the Memorial University Libraries' Centre for Newfoundland Studies, she was instrumental in building a priceless and internationally renowned collection of Newfoundlandiana. These heritage books and documents will provide generations of students, scholars and the public with a record of the history of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Library Trustees' Association Annual Merit Award, for outstanding library trustee, 1986.
Literary works
Sole authorship
Ms. Hart's biographies of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot were written with the full endorsement of Agatha Christie Limited.
The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple - Biography of the Agatha Christie character.
The Life and Times of Hercule Poirot - Biography of the Agatha Christie character.
Into Unknown Labrador - an article published in Rediscovering Canada - Image, Place and Text edited by Gudrun Bjork Gudsteins.. Publisher: University of Iceland Press. Publication date: 2001/12/01.
Collaborations
- In collaboration with Roberta Buchanan and Bryan Greene - Biography of the first white woman to cross Labrador. The three collaborators edited Mina Hubbard's diary, and Ms. Hart wrote the biography of Mina Hubbard.
Radio
CBC Radio Ideas documentary: "Into Unknown Labrador: The Mina Hubbard Story", 1998-05-28. This lecture was also delivered by Ms. Hart to The Newfoundland Historical Society on January 27, 2000.
