Notes From One Librarian to Another

Sarah Stang, MLIS’10, meets McGill parent Mrs. Beryl Goldman. In the background is a painting by Mrs. Goldman’s daughter Susan. (PHOTO: OWEN EGAN)

When Sarah Stang, MLIS’10, learned the good news that she had been selected as the first recipient of the Susan Goldman Feinglos Memorial Major Entrance Bursary , she immediately did what any good information specialist would. She did some research.

Sarah discovered that Susan Goldman Feinglos, BA’70, MLS’72, was the author of a reference book which documented an earlier version of a database that Sarah uses all the time in her studies. Published in 1985, Medline: A Basic Guide to Searching, was the first of its kind and was even translated into Japanese.

Recently, Sarah had the opportunity to meet and thank the person who is helping her through her first year of graduate studies: McGill parent Mrs. Beryl Goldman who, along with her late husband Ralph Goldman, generously created the bursary.

“My daughter Susan was a very productive and talented person,” says Mrs. Goldman. “Not only was she very artistic, she was a dedicated librarian and teacher.”

She also seems to have had a good sense of humour. Quoted in a 1986 article, Susan said: “I realized there was a need for a book on Medline, and no one was masochistic enough to write it.” She ultimately rose to the position of Director of Duke University’s Medical Center Library. Sadly, she passed away in 2002 from a brain tumour. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Mark Feinglos, and their two children, Daniel and Becki.

Mr. and Mrs. Goldman chose to honour Susan’s memory with this named bursary, which will be awarded annually to a graduate student entering McGill’s Master of Library and Information Studies program in good academic standing, who demonstrates financial need. A generous donation has also been made to the Montreal Neurological Institute in support of brain tumour research.

“I’m very grateful for this entrance bursary, which allows me to focus on my chosen career,” says Sarah, who also has a part-time job as a student reference librarian. Originally from BC, she never thought of becoming a librarian until she was an undergraduate at UBC. “At 29, I was a mature student and felt a little unprepared for academia. I was fortunate to meet many wonderful librarians who helped me.”

No doubt, librarians just like Susan Goldman Feinglos. Thanks to the foresight of her parents, Susan’s legacy will live on for generations to come.

Allyson Rowley, BA’77