SANDRA KIMBERLEY HALL
SLA News Division’s

JOSEPH F. KWAPIL AWARD WINNER

Presented by Ellie Briscoe, National Geographic Society

I'm Ellie Briscoe.

I am delighted to be here to remind all those here who know her of Sandy Hall's contributions to our division and profession, and to introduce the newer members to one of THE people who has made a difference. Hang in there-I intend to stop talking before you stop listening…

So who is this woman that her colleagues describe as a "whirlwind, a real sharp cookie, strong-willed, deeply dedicated, dynamic, ambitious, innovative, finely-honed sense of humor, talented, articulate," about whom Barbara Semonche said, "I'd love to be like her when I grow up," of whom Lou Thomas says "Ah was IMPRESSED," and whom Bill Chase (of Chase's calendar) described as "the most unforgettable newspaper librarian in the world?"

She's Australian, trained as a teacher, who became a librarian after she came to this country. She got her MLS in 1972, and the next year became Chief Librarian (and the first professional librarian) at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, and joined SLA. Harish Trivedi remembers Sandy at that year’s conference, asking questions and not yielding the floor until she got answers--a session that helped bring about changes in the division bylaws.

While at the Star, Sandy began speaking at conference sessions, working on the Division's Education Committee (which developed the criteria for the Vormelker-Thomas student award, and which launched a slide show to teach newspapers what their libraries could do and help librarians do it better). She was elected to our Board in 1976, then Secretary-Treasurer, then Chair-Elect, serving as Chair for nearly two years in a row when the previous Chair had to step down early. Only two others in our history have served more than one term; one of them was Joseph Kwapil. Then she went on to the SLA Education Committee, and the SLA Board of Directors. She moved from library work to consulting, public relations and writing, and finally dropped off of our radar screens when she moved to Hawaii with her family, where she has written travel articles and a biography of Duke Kahanamoku, the man who introduced surfing to the world. Now, she's baaaaaaack…..She has resurfaced on Newslib-L!

When you look at her list of the accomplishments she is proudest of, you see a great respect for the excellence we call professionalism, and a desire to help others achieve it.

She began an internship program for students at the University of Arizona library school, where she was an adjunct professor—AND a frequent speaker in the journalism department. At the Star, she began a program where ALL new employees spent one or two WHOLE DAYS in orientation in the library. Hers was the first fully integrated department at the Star. With her broad world view, she expanded the library's scope from only local news, to national and international, and is convinced Tucson was nudged into being a less parochial community because of it. Remember this is pre-Internet, even pre-cable TV. She told Frank Johnson, the star's editor, which story to submit for the Pulitzer prize, and when it won, he said, "I'll always listen to you from now on." I'm sure he was listening when she played a part in the "Arizona Report," the original series of investigative reports launched by the IRE. Elaine Raines, the current Star Chief Librarian, says, "My standard quote when someone has a historical question is that we are okay after the early 1970's, when Sandy took over the library." I can tell you it was a fun place to work. Ask me later about the popcorn popper that drew reporters in from all over the building, sniffing, on Fridays: You have files overdue? No popcorn for you… And then there was "the murky past…" Did the reporters realize the Library a mess before she got there? Listen to the Star’s former Science writer Liz Maggio:

The book of GENESIS, Chapter 1

As loosely interpreted by Elizabeth Maggio, a grateful reporter

In the beginning, the Arizona Daily Star had a library.

And the library was without form; darkness was upon the face of its cramped quarters and chaos reigned in its filing cabinets. And the spirit of Sandy Hall moved upon the face of the library.

And Sandy said: Let there be light. And behold there was light in the library.

And Sandy saw the light, and that it was good.

And Sandy said: Let the library bring forth information quickly and wholly. Let there be files for news, files for sports, files for science, and files for Dear Abby.

And Sandy created a new library, and divided the newspaper articles each to its own kind according to its place in the alphabet. And Sandy saw that it was good.

And Sandy said: Let the library be current and user friendly, and it was so.

And Sandy hired assistants and blessed them and said unto them: Be helpful and cross-reference, and put back the files when you’re done with them. And Sandy saw that it was good.

And Sandy said to the reporters: Behold, I have created order out of chaos in the library and categorized and microfiched everything that appeareth upon the newspaper, and I have given you an efficient and courteous staff.

And the reporters saw everything that Sandy had done, and, behold, it was very, very good. Whereupon the reporters believed that Sandy Hall was god.

Kwapil winner Homer Martin says Sandy "left a permanent mark on both our profession and this organization. As a result of her effective leadership, the role and visibility of the library in a news organization were enhanced, the programs, services and influence of this division were expanded, and the professional standards of both were raised."

What her colleagues remember is that it was under Sandy's aegis that the Division published its first "Basic specifications for a Full-text on-line automated newspaper library system", which, Jim Scofield reminded me, she personally typeset and got the Star to publish for us at no charge. Our bulletin was revamped. A directory of members was published to help us stay in touch with each other. In an era when our contributions were too often overlooked, it was due to Sandy's persistence that Editor and Publisher and ANPA's Presstime began to cover our conferences, and Division members got onto the ANPA speaker's roster. SNPA and the Arizona Newspaper Assn. invited her to speak at their conferences. Sandy got vendors to underwrite the cost of the Division suite. She improved our visibility and reputation with the Association when she was elected to the SLA Board in 1980-- just six years after SLA’s former president Frank. McKenna told Homer Martin he considered the Newspaper Division one of the weakest in SLA.

Sandy did a lot of change that. Former chair Carolyn Hardnett says of Sandy,

"Once she's met you she will never forget you.

"She can also spot a librarian who needs mentoring from 40 paces. I had only been a member of SLA Newspaper Division for a very short while before Sandy appointed me to a committee and made me work. I thought I was keeping a very low profile …. I was wrong. Sandy's motto [is] "PARTICIPATION".

Carolyn says when SLA met in Hawaii, "I really saw the party animal side of her and thought yeah this is someone I can really enjoy hanging out with. Most of all I appreciate Sandy as one of several members who pushed and helped me realize my full potential to the top leadership position of this organization."

Sandy can certainly party with the best of 'em; Lany McDonald said she would try to bring with her to this banquet a cork with a message on it from Sandy that she saved from a very News Division-type night on the town. But there is more to her "people skills" than that. She encourages you to do your best; A real Sandy-ism is: "IF they didn't think you could do it, they wouldn't have given you the job."

Shirley Mooney Aaberg says,

I especially feel she brought us from the sometimes"whispered about" division-- known I am afraid more for hard partying than anything--to a recognized PROFESSIONAL group of talented people.

So what's next for Sandy? She will I'm sure be glad to tell you about her new goal, to do public service work in Nepal. She's like Teddy Roosevelt, who preferred the concept of wearing out to rusting out. She doesn't stand still.. She never let us stand still. In her Annual Report in 1979, she said "We must not be complacent and rest on the laurels of our considerable achievements, as the decade of the eighties will bring even more challenges." She was right of course, and she exhorted all of us to do whatever we could to help the Division help the members to meet those challenges.

Robert Kennedy said, few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

So let me demonstrate at least part of the total of Sandy's contributions. First, I ask those of you whose lives or careers have been touched for the good by Sandy's leadership, energy, mentoring, initiative or friendship to stand.

Now, if the leadership or energy of one of those persons standing has affected you, please stand.

Third degree of separation?

You get the idea. I ask all of you to stand and join me in saying "thank you" to Sandy Hall, with the presentation of the Kwapil Award.