That Berman has to do everything in a big way. Feh! Case in point: the guy went in for a coronary bypass... and ended up having a freaking quintuple! Family and longtime friends know that Sandy's culinary tastes once focused on two main food groups: wurst and pastries. On the first day back at work after post-surgical recuperation, though, he brought a brown bag lunch. In his sack were one apple, one orange, one banana. "Sandy," I exclaimed, "Isn't that a little drastic?" "I quit smoking cold turkey," he grumped. Also typical of Sandy: he must have added a dozen or more cross references under subject headings related to heart surgery. Obsessive? Perhaps. Useful? Absolutely.

- Dorchester Dog Hip


I've never met Sandy Berman face to face, but it seems like I've known him forever. He is a force for good in our world. He regularly offers help, assistance, and encouragement to those librarians who struggle daily with the problems of serving people, the people coming into our libraries to find out about our world. Sometimes these people are kids just taking their first steps, sometimes they are adults, and sometimes they are older people who are still curious and still want to know more.

Sandy has for many years advocated getting rid of the artificial barriers that hold people back. He has found many people who work with him in these efforts. I hope they have the courage to keep moving forward. Certainly Sandy has been an icon of moral courage in our profession.

President Kennedy once said, "Some people see things as they are and ask 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say 'Why not?'" This describes Sandy Berman perfectly, because where many people ask "Why?", he has always been one of the few who says, "Why not?"

- Earl Lee

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