We regret to announce the recent death of Dr Maurice Line, the first University Librarian, who held the post between 1968 and 1971.
Maurice Line had previously worked as Deputy Librarian at the University of Newcastle and went on to become a major figure in the foundation of the British Library in the 1970s, serving his last ten years before retirement as Director General of the British Library Lending Division.
Whilst at the University of Bath Maurice Line directed a study into the scope for automated data processing in libraries and established ‘The Centre for Catalogue Research’ at Bath, the antecedent research centre out of which UKOLN grew.
Maurice Line published several hundred papers on a wide range of topics in library science, often challenging professional orthodoxies with radical proposals for reform of practice. He proclaimed that his management style was based on “love and enthusiasm” and he will be remembered with affection by many former colleagues.
At the time of writing, funeral arrangements are not known. The British Library has announced that it plans to arrange a celebration of his life in due course.
Howard Nicholson
University Librarian