“We both wanted to give something back to the library” – Mrs. Suzanne Cates Dodson and Mr. Earl Dodson
For Suzanne Cates Dodson and Earl Dodson, the UBC Library has long played an important role in their personal and professional lives. The pair first met at the Main Library (now the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre) back in the 1950s when they were both members of the Biology Club. Suzanne, a bit uncertain about her determined suitor, hid behind a dictionary stand in the Ridington Room in an attempt to elude her future husband.
Suzanne and Earl Dodson – photo courtesy of Kallberg Darch Studios Ltd.
Suzanne went on to finish her degree at in English and Zoology before pursuing a degree in librarianship at UBC. While she had originally planned to stay only a few years at UBC Library, she ended up staying for 36 years, working in a number of positions until her retirement in 1999. Meanwhile, Earl completed his degree and became a distinguished geologist.
The Dodsons have a long history of supporting the library in areas that don’t receive as much attention but are essential to maintaining the library and its resources. In 1996 they provided the funds to install an elevator in Koerner Library to better accommodate people with disabilities, as well as funds for lighting in the Atrium, and expansion of the rooftop patio. The Dodsons provided the funds necessary to initiate and complete a project that converted B.C. government sessional papers into microfilm, and to purchase an air conditioner to better preserve fragile and rare materials in the Rare Books and Special Collections vault. More recently, in 2007 they donated $20,000 to create the Suzanne Dodson Professional Development Award Endowment Fund to fund professional development opportunities for UBC Library employees.
In recognition of the Dodsons’ unwavering support of UBC Library, a restored reading room was named in their honour. Once a part of the former Main Library, the Suzanne Cates Dodson and Earl D. Dodson Reading Room is now located within the Chapman Learning Commons in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. The 1999 renovations rebuilt the room to its former 1925 glory with replicas of the only two remaining wrought iron and glass lamps that hung in the Main Library’s front hall, refinished wooden roof beams, and a hand-painted decorative frieze of Celtic design by UBC artists.
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The Dodson Room in The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
To learn more about the innovative programs at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, visit their website.
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