Memorial: Bardie C. Wolfe Jr. ( ) An Innovator and a Friend

Transcription

1 Memorial: Bardie C. Wolfe Jr. ( ) An Innovator and a Friend 1 Bardie C. Wolfe Jr., died on October 19, 2000, of congestive heart failure in Miami, Florida, just a few days short of his fifty-eighth birthday. Bardie was a unique and extraordinary individual who will be sorely missed. His commitment to law librarianship was unparalleled, and he long ago became a law librarian who set the standards for others to follow. A pioneer in using electronic information in law librarianship, Bardie stayed ahead of his time. He was a visionary who led us all toward excellence. He was also a kind and thoughtful friend, warm and generous to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. 2 After earning J.D. and M.S.L.S. degrees at the University of Kentucky, he began his professional career in law librarianship at the University of Texas ( ), then moved to the University of Virginia ( ). He then became head law librarian and professor of law at Cleveland State University ( ); the University of Tennessee ( ); and Pace University ( ). In 1984 Bardie became the founding library director at Miami s St. Thomas University School of Law, retiring in 1997 for health reasons. 3 Personally, I first came to know Bardie in 1968 when he joined the staff of the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas at Austin as the circulation supervisor. In those days the library was open twenty-four hours a day, and Bardie worked evenings and weekends. Every morning the staff would find Bardie Grams as we came to call them, notes calling attention to shelving problems, cat- 363

2 364 Law Library Journal [Vol. 93:2 aloging difficulties, maintenance needs, or administrative concerns. This pursuit of excellence in all things enriched the services offered by the circulation desk tremendously. 4 Another of Bardie s notable achievements during his tenure at Tarlton was the training program that he conducted for participants in the federal Equal Opportunity Employment program. He taught the group about library procedures, gave them a working knowledge of legal materials, and mentored them about work expectations. Bardie was so successful in his training program that five participants became permanent employees. In fact, two of these individuals, Elizabeth Saucedo and Mary Burton, still work at Tarlton and remain among Bardie s greatest admirers. All of the participants credited Bardie for recognizing their potential and for giving them essential library training. 5 But Bardie left a positive and lasting impression on everybody who worked with him. Donald Dunn, now the dean of Western New England College of Law, recalls working for Bardie as a work-study student from 1969 to Don says that throughout the thirty-year friendship that ensued, Bardie was a kind, warm individual who was fun to be around and a true gentleman in everything he did. 6 After Bardie left Tarlton, he went on to accomplish so many amazing things it is hard to choose the highlights. It is no exaggeration to say that he organized and built the law library for Pace Law School. His innovative uses of technology began long before computers and computer knowledge were as widespread as they are today. Indeed, Bardie was a pioneer in developing practical applications of computer technology before the word Internet had even been coined. 7 Many years before it was fashionable, Bardie employed simple applications of computer technology and methodology to introduce an automated method of ordering and checking-in material at St. Thomas. The resulting efficiency and thoroughness were enviable. Bardie went on to use a special file in the LEXIS database to create the first online catalog as well. He was an untiring innovator who made tremendous contributions to every library with which he was associated. 8 Bardie had such enthusiasm for his projects that it was a pleasure to hear about them. Over the years, he consulted with me on a number of different activities. The one thing they all had in common was a commitment to improving library services in the best possible way. His commitment to the highest quality of work never wavered and so he got outstanding results. I should add that on my visits to discuss these activities, Bardie the host treated me to some of the best steaks I ve ever had (which is saying a lot from somebody who lives in Texas). 9 Knowing Bardie also meant that I had the pleasure of receiving correspondence from him. While Bardie s career took him to five different academic law libraries, wherever he was he never failed to send me Bardie Grams on a regular basis. These were such a delight to receive because he wrote so eloquently and so compellingly about so many people and so many important issues. All of us who received his epistles were the beneficiaries of insights on topics as

3 ] Memorial: Bardie C. Wolfe Jr. 365 diverse as technology, law school accreditation, and the role of law librarians as consultants. Now these letters will serve as a fond reminder of a wonderful man and a good friend. And, of course, all those who knew him will never forget his magnificent walrus-like mustache and dancing blue eyes. 10 I close with the highest praise of Bardie s great kindness and thoughtfulness. Though he left the Tarlton Law Library many years ago and went on to other cities and other libraries, he always paid us an annual visit, which I very much enjoyed and appreciated. During these visits, Bardie would bring me up-to-date on his professional activities and on his personal life. I have many wonderful memories of these visits. Bardie also made a special point of spending time with his former support staff whenever he came to Austin. In fact, Bardie created the wonderful tradition of taking them all out to dinner so that they could leisurely reminisce about old times and enjoy one another s company again. This unfailing thoughtfulness and generosity was Bardie s trademark and it is how we in the library will always remember him. 11 He is survived by his wife, Tere Halls; a brother, Joseph Wolfe of Norton, Virginia; a sister, Nancy Yapo of Milford, Connecticut; stepdaughters, Deborah Cairns and Elizabeth Nichols, of the United Kingdom; four grandchildren; four nieces and one nephew; and a host of friends. Roy M. Mersky 1 The St. Thomas Years, Bardie C. Wolfe Jr. was the founding director of St. Thomas University Law Library in Miami. Although he did not officially commence work until 1984, he was already developing the law library plan and program in Upon his arrival at St. Thomas, he immediately started to build the library collection. Already then considered one of the profession s leaders in the use of electronic retrieval systems, he built a collection based on a mixed-format concept. He stressed access to information through emerging technologies and saved money by purchasing many historical materials in microform format. 13 The library building, dedicated in fall 1984, was considered to have the latest state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Bardie s vision for the building combined traditional legal research with hands-on computer experience; it included one of the first large-scale computer laboratories. His ability to combine resources in different formats guaranteed St. Thomas University Law Library users access to information at lower cost. Bardie s library also offered all students and faculty open access to electronic resources, at no cost and with no long waiting lines, a level of service that in those days was unusual. 1. William Stamps Farish Professor of Law and Director of Research, University of Texas at Austin, Jamail Center for Legal Research, Tarlton Law Library, Austin, Texas.

4 366 Law Library Journal [Vol. 93:2 14 Under Bardie s leadership, St. Thomas had one of the highest per capita rates of hours of online use by students among academic law libraries. His innovative ideas also included implementing a local area network to allow access to electronic resources and networking of CD-ROM resources. During the early 1980s such ideas were not always accepted or considered the best method for accomplishing the mission of a law library. Today, however, most law libraries in the nation look like the one St. Thomas University has been since its beginning. This is a tribute to Bardie s vision of the future of libraries and librarianship. 15 Bardie was also a great library administrator. With a small staff of only seven, he implemented many innovative practices to make the library more efficient. He planned and developed in-house programs to run unique acquisitions, serials check-in, accounting, and statistical systems. St. Thomas University Law Library became the first and only library to have an online catalog available through LEXIS. He was a firm supporter of staff improvement and encouraged both professional and paraprofessional staff to keep current with the latest developments, especially in the area of technology. He made sure that each member of the staff had a computer to use in advancing their technology-related skills. During the law library s first years, the entire staff had the opportunity to visit other libraries and gain experience. Bardie supported professional activities by all librarians and encouraged them to be involved in professional organizations and the changes happening in the library field. He motivated his staff toward greater achievement and in so doing inspired their loyalty and respect. 16 During his years at St.Thomas he was member of many law school committees, some of which he chaired. He also was involved in teaching legal methods, research, writing, bibliography, and computer-assisted research. His research interests included legal research techniques and approaches; computer applications in legal education; the economic impact of the growth of judicial, legislative, and administrative activities; and statutory analysis and construction. He loved statistics and spent long hours working on statistical reports that he then shared with other librarians. Bardie s reports and analyses of ABA statistics became famous. 17 The culture of Native Americans was also one of Bardie s interests. He worked on planning and celebrating the Tribal Sovereignty Conference hosted by St. Thomas University since He was an avid collector of Native American memorabilia as well as that of eagles. 18 Bardie Wolfe was the library director at St. Thomas University School of Law from 1984 to He suffered a debilitating stroke in May 1997 that impaired his speech. However, he maintained his interest in the library and its progress. The library staff and the law school administration and faculty kept him informed about everything concerning the library, the library profession, and the school. In November 1997 he was nominated by his staff to receive the Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award which he was awarded during the

5 ] Memorial: Bardie C. Wolfe Jr AALL Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Bardie s career as librarian, administrator, and faculty member and his impact on the law school and the library profession will be long remembered by us all and is part of the law library s history. 19 St. Thomas University Law Library now faces the challenge of finding ways to bridge the electronic divide and provide services to those who have been termed flexible users, individuals who wish to be able to access information from any location, whenever they want it. Meeting their needs will not always be easy, but the St. Thomas tradition of being at the forefront of library innovation, so long nurtured by Bardie, will surely guide our vision as we continue the work that he started as our founding library director. Beatrice S. Citron, 2 Gordon R. Russell, 3 and Paula Tejeda 4 2. Former Associate Law Librarian/Head Public Services, St. Thomas University Law Library, Miami, Florida. 3. Director of Library and Information Technology, St. Thomas University Law Library, Miami, Florida. 4. Associate Law Librarian for Adminstration and Technical Services, St. Thomas University Law Library, Miami, Florida.