Remembrances of J. Myron Jacobstein

Abstract

Like many other law librarians, I was the beneficiary of valuable advice from Myron Jacobstein when I came into the profession, and I remain forever grateful to him for that assistance. In 1958, I was changing professions—moving, with some trepidation, from the practice of law to law librarianship. Myron was then assistant librarian at the Columbia Law School under Miles O. Price, the formidable "Dean of Law Librarianship" (or at least the East Coast Dean—Marian Gallagher of the University of Washington Law School being generally recognized with that title on the West Coast). I had been referred to Roy Mersky and Myron Jacobstein, two younger librarians who might be able to answer my questions and advise me, and to Harry Bitner and Julius Marke, two somewhat older law librarians. All four were in fact very supportive, but Roy and Myron became closer long-term friends and colleagues. Myron's advice was pragmatic, insightful, and delivered with the warmth and humor that Joan Howland described so well in her 1999 tribute to Myron, published in Law Library Journal.