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Biddle librarian Merle Slyhoff receives AALL Hall of Fame Award

May 24, 2016

Biddle librarian and AALL Hall of Fame Award winner Merle J. Slyhoff has served on the library staff since 1978.
Biddle librarian and AALL Hall of Fame Award winner Merle J. Slyhoff has served on the library staff since 1978.
Penn Law collection development librarian Merle J. Slyhoff has been inducted into the American Association of Law Libraries Hall of Fame.

Penn Law collection development librarian Merle J. Slyhoff has been inducted into the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Hall of Fame.

Slyhoff is one of four Hall of Fame inductees chosen this year. The award, established in 2009, recognizes AALL members who have made significant, substantial, and long-standing contributions to the profession of legal information management — such as writing for legal publications, serving in AALL leadership roles, working with outside organizations on behalf of the profession, or serving as an exceptional role model for their colleagues.

Each inductee has been an AALL member for at least 25 years.

“This is a wonderful recognition of Merle’s many years of service to our professional organization,” said Paul George, Associate Dean and Director of the Biddle Law Library, and Associate Dean for Curriculum Development.

As a collection development librarian, Slyhoff identifies and selects the various materials for the Biddle Library’s collection that students and faculty need to conduct their research in U.S. law. She also works directly with faculty and students helping them with their reference requests.

Slyhoff joined the staff of the Biddle Library in 1978, after earning master’s degree in library science from Drexel University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University-Camden.

“Being named an AALL Hall of Fame award winner is a career highlight,” said Slyhoff. “Through holding positions and serving on committees more than 50 times, as an AALL member, I’ve been able to obtain highly useful leadership skills — and make lasting personal and professional connections.”

Founded in 1906, the American Association of Law Libraries promotes law libraries’ value to the legal and public communities, fosters the law librarianship profession, and provides leadership in the legal information field.