Longtime AHL Head Vicki Croft to Retire June 1; Reception Set May 30

Former Washington State University pharmacy librarian Sarah McCord literally had just rolled into town, U-Haul trailing behind her, when she learned about the impressive reach of Vicki Croft, head of WSU’s Animal Health Library (AHL).

Arriving from Madison, Wis., in 2000, McCord was set to start work the following week at the library. She stopped first at the Pullman UPS Store to sign up for a mailbox. The clerk behind the counter perked up immediately when she saw McCord’s name. The clerk’s husband, a researcher at the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine—the AHL’s most frequent customer—had heard about McCord’s hire through Croft.

Croft, the “queen of networking,” according to McCord, will retire from the university on June 1. A retirement reception to honor the longtime veterinary librarian is planned 2-4 p.m. Friday, May 30, in the Terrell Library atrium.

“Few academic libraries have the good fortune to count among their professional ranks an individual of Vicki’s caliber,” said Jay Starratt, dean of WSU Libraries. “For 38 years, she has served as the go-to source for WSU veterinary researchers, teaching faculty and students alike, often helping them find critical information within minutes when patient emergencies called for it.

“Her efforts have not been limited to WSU alone,” he said. “As a founder of the International Conference of Animal Health Specialists, Vicki was instrumental in connecting colleagues around the world for greater access to all topics affecting animal and human health. There isn’t a greater advocate for bridging that information gap worldwide than Vicki.”

For more about Croft, read the rest of the WSU News story at https://news.wsu.edu/2014/05/28/may-30-queen-of-networking-librarian-ret….