Univerity Librarian Kim Isaac visited her old mentor, Betty Harris, recently to present her with the UFV Librarian Emeritus award.
Here are some words from Kim about the key role Betty played in the development of the UFV library:
Betty was the founding library director at Fraser Valley College, and served in that role from 1974 until 1998, when she retired from what had by then become the University College of the Fraser Valley. Very few academic librarians have the experience of developing a library from an idea to reality, and in some ways Betty did this twice: first by establishing the FVC Library, and then by leading the transformation from a college library to one that would support undergraduate education at the degree-granting UCFV. To accomplish all this, Betty led the planning of at least five new library facilities (three in various locations in Abbotsford, and one each in Chilliwack and Mission), grew the library’s collection from nothing to a respectable undergraduate library collection, and hired and mentored many librarians (myself included) and library technicians. Although years have now passed since Betty’s retirement and many current UFV faculty, staff and administrators did not have the opportunity to know her, employees and students are still benefiting from the extraordinary work she did in laying the foundations for academic library services at UFV.
Betty’s long and distinguished career at FVC/UCFV was marked by many accomplishments and milestones. In addition to her contributions in building the library, its collections and services, Betty made significant contributions to the governance and administration of FVC/UCFV. As Director of Library Services, Betty represented the library at senior tables within the institution. She was actively involved in the establishment of the Faculty and Staff Association, and served in key positions from its founding through most of the next 15 years, a period of time when the FSA played a major, formal role in collegial governance and decision-making at this institution.
In addition to her work within FVC/UCFV, Betty Harris was also a respected leader in the library profession provincially and nationally. She held elected positions with the BC Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and the Council of Post-Secondary Library Directors of BC. She served as a member of the advisory board of the National Library of Canada. Her active commitment to cross-institutional collaboration and shared services was instrumental in the establishment of some of the underpinnings of library services today, such as interlibrary loans and consortial purchasing and licensing.
Betty’s commitment to the library profession did not end with her retirement from our university. She has shared her knowledge and expertise through private consulting as well as through a number of international volunteer experiences.