Many members will have been deeply saddened to hear of Janet's untimely death on the 21st February 2011. Janet was such a well known and deeply respected member of BIALL that we thought we would share some memories from colleagues and her staff at Thomas Eggar, where she worked for many years.
Janet Schofield
Janet worked with Thomas Eggar for over 20 years, starting with the firm in 1989. Originally a history graduate, Janet went on to qualify as a librarian before focussing her career on law librarianship and knowledge management. She is one of those individuals who have seen the development of law librarianship through an amazing period of transformation, both in resources and services offered and changes in technology. Janet was responsible for developing a library service from scratch. The partners at the firm remember her as moving the firm from having a pile of dusty books in an office to the development of a modern full-service KM department, employing a small and dedicated team which supported the expansion of the business during her 20 years there.
For the partners one thing that really stood out for them was her total commitment to service excellence. She was always ready to go the extra mile and is very fondly remembered by all for her commitment and care. She developed very strong friendships at work and is sorely missed by many.
Her team also remember her for her dedication and her sense of humour. Everyone remarked on the very long hours that Janet worked for the firm, but also commented on her style, grace and generosity. Janet was an excellent cook and liked to bring in a treat when her team were having a particularly hard time. She had a great passion for walking, for her garden, opera and for life in general.
Janet was very interested in extending and improving knowledge management within the firm. Both she and I worked together for a year on the Nottingham Law School Diploma in knowledge management. As anyone who has been on the course will know, this involved a lot of study and work at intensive weekend workshops. Throughout the year Janet worked incredibly hard but was always positive and upbeat during our workshop sessions. She became an integral part of her team and her sense of humour and tact were invaluable in getting everyone working together. What is absolutely amazing is that at the time Janet had already been suffering with the cancer that ultimately cut short her life, but never once let it interfere with her studies. I can remember being completely in awe of her determination to continue to enjoy life to the full and to make the absolute most of the time she spent studying.
Janet also played a very active part in BIALL over the years. Loyita Worley recalls with great fondness the time that they worked together:
“I can't remember how or when I met Janet – no doubt at a British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) event. Having met, we hit it off immediately and found that we had a lot in common. We had both worked at our respective law firms for about the same length of time, I was born and raised in Worthing and Janet worked and lived in Chichester. We were both very enthusiastic about our work and shared the same sense of humour. We met from time to time at meetings and conferences and had regular phone calls regarding work issues.
The 1998 BIALL Conference was to be held in Portsmouth and coincided with my year as Chair of the Association. In those days the Conference was entirely run by BIALL members and, when I knew that it was to be held on the south coast, I immediately thought of approaching Janet to be on the committee. When I asked her, she said that from the minute that she heard my name in connection with Portsmouth she was just waiting for my call!
Luckily for me she agreed to be the Local Conference Organiser and we worked together very closely over a two year period. Janet was thorough, practical and always reliable. We put many hours of work into the planning and organisation of what turned out to be a very successful conference. We had the odd potential disaster, but also had lots of fun and laughs along the way – she was great. Latterly, our paths crossed less frequently, but every time they did it was lovely to see her and we always caught up exactly where we had left off. I will miss her professionalism and friendship but will always remember her with a smile.”
For everyone who met Janet at conferences over the years, who worked with her on committees, as part of the Law South library network and within Thomas Eggar, I am sure you will all join with me in giving thanks for having known Janet and pass on our deepest sympathies to her husband Mike, her family and friends.
