The library association council recognised the "knowledge and skills she had demonstrated and shared with the profession", council officials said.
Her significant contributions included over public lending rights for authors, and adult literacy.
She was this year appointed as the first manager of the new Auckland Council Libraries, which includes more than 60 community libraries and about 1000 staff.
The award was announced at the association's centenary conference in Dunedin this week.
Marilyn Fordyce, University of Otago Library information services manager, has been awarded association fellowship, partly "for ... leadership in librarianship, particularly for collection and access management".
She is conference programme convener.
Other honorary life memberships: Penny Carnaby, national librarian and National Library of New Zealand chief executive; Sue Sutherland, National Library deputy chief executive; Marjorie Warwick, former librarian at Auckland Regional Authority.
Other fellowships: Daniel Dorner, senior lecturer, School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington; Brian Flaherty, assistant university librarian, Auckland University Library; Spencer Lilley, of Wellington, partly for helping develop Maori information services; Sandra Mann, manager, Hutt City Libraries; Ann Reweti, Wellington City Libraries; Anne Scott, library IT manager, Canterbury University; Helen Woodhouse, Takapuna Library manager.
