VALL Honours Susan Daly, Law Librarian

If you like a good law librarian biography (and really, who doesn’t?), check out page 12 of the Summer edition of the VALL Review. Longtime colleague Susan Daly is profiled in a flattering and well deserved piece by VALL honoured member, Anne Beresford.

Susan is the latest VALL lifetime member to be announced, and I’m very pleased to see the Association make this recognition. Here are two of the great quotes included from her colleagues:

“Susan was an excellent and proficient legal researcher and probably the best for many years, she was never acknowledged as that and perhaps should be now.”

“Susan is one of the few law firm librarians in Vancouver whose photograph and a description of library services appeared in a firm marketing brochure and newspaper advertisement created for client use.”

Both statements are very accurate. Susan was the ‘go to’ resource for Government and legislative reference questions. There were only a handful of others with comparable skill, and many of them would still use Susan as a sounding board. And full credit to Alexander Holburn on the second quote. Susan’s expertise, and legal research services generally, were deemed valuable enough to include in the firm’s marketing materials. That inclusion spoke volumes to many non-lawyers working in the Vancouver legal market, and to the respect the firm had for Susan.

Emma Durand-Wood, who worked with Susan for many years at AHBL (now with us at Stem) remarked that the biography made her a bit teary reading it; and I must admit that I was touched too. Susan was one of the most encouraging and friendliest law librarians I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She should be proud of the contributions she’s made to the profession, and the career she leaves behind.