Sandy Berman Appreciation Month

Tue, 09/09/2008 - 5:16pm by jenna

Legendary cataloger Sandy Berman was in a serious car accident last Friday and is facing a long and arduous recovery.

I declare the six weeks or so from now until his birthday on October 6, Sandy Berman appreciation month. (It takes way more than a month to show sufficient appreciation, believe me!) Please participate by sending him cards, flowers, subject heading suggestions, and low fat schnitzel.

Sanford Berman
Room 615 - Bed 2
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St. Louis Park, MN 55426

He'll probably be at the above address for at least a month.

UPDATE:
Sandy will leave the hospital on Wednesday, September 3. I'll post his next address when I have it.

UPDATE:
Sandy is out of the hospital. Send him love at
4400 Morningside Road
Edina, MN
55416-5043

While his condition isn't life threatening, it is very serious. He has two broken vertebrae in his neck and secondary injuries from the surgery and will be in a series of body, back and neck braces for some time.

If you are fortunate to have met Sandy, you probably agree that in addition to being a library superstar, he is the menschiest person on the planet. His personal warmth and generosity to friends, library school students, activists, etc. are as legendary as his gadfly status at the Library of Congress.

But don't feel that you have to know him to write to him. Sandy has long been a friend and mentor to librarians, LIS students, and activists that he's never met.

free:

sandy berman

Comments

amanda (not verified)

Tue, 08/26/2008 - 2:20pm

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I'm so busted. I should just

I'm so busted. I should just send a heartfelt card because I know how nice those feel, especially when you aren't expecting them.

I first met Sandy Berman on Jessamyn West's fridge, got to know him since here on Jenna's blog. Kind of makes me want to be a librarian (truth, though it isn't just Sandy). And it is so hugely important to remember that systems don't fix themselves and assumptions don't challenge one another. That it rarely occurs to someone to say "what is 'the Jewish question'?" and then to say it again, "no really, what does that mean?" because that matters.

I've just finished Leopold's Ghost and the unexpected lesson therein was about assumptions and language and going with the flow and never questioning authority. I learned something or digested something about the difference between authority and power and realized that questioning authority doesn't only mean challenging power but even more simply not accepting authority, expertise that doesn't make sense.

Secretly, questioning authority at its most basic has more potential to shake the foundations of the status quo than direct confrontations ever will. And, secretly, this is all why arts education is vital: because it teaches you to play with ideas and expression and helps us all question authority with far more confidence.

So, there.

I don't know if I make any sense, but get well soon Sandy.

Strangers are thinking of you.

Anonymouse (not verified)

Tue, 08/26/2008 - 2:33pm

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