After Reassignment,
Berman Submits Resignation
Following an involuntary reassignment Sanford Berman, head cataloger at Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, submitted his resignation April 23. In his memo to Assistant Manager for Technical Services Elizabeth Feinberg, Berman said he regarded the action as “a forced retirement.” He said he will be on leave until the resignation’s effective date, June 10.
In a message to staff, Berman said he had intended to retire in two-and-a-half years after 26 years at Hennepin, but he refused “to submit to any further muzzling, punishment, and humiliation.” Berman had said his April 20 transfer was “clearly retaliation” for speaking out against an earlier reprimand.
Additionally, Berman announced he would resign from ALA Council at the end of this year’s Annual Conference. “To feel credible and self-confident in what I do,” he told American Libraries, “I truly need to be connected to an operating library.” As for his future involvement in the library field, Berman said he might become involved in a local watchdog group that monitors the Hennepin library.
Posted May 3, 1999.
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