I was shocked to receive an email today from Mark Taylor, the Head of Corporate Marketing and Media Relations of CILIP, who informed me that Bob McKee, the institute’s chief executive, died in August. My only contact with Bob was a thirty minute telephone interview but it left me in doubt of the importance of libraries and librarians to schools and society. You can read his enthusiastic and articulate defence of libraries in Ink Pellet, which should arrive at your school any day now. The sad thing is that he was so looking forward to his retirement.
Bob had been a prominent member of the UK library and information world for many years. He was previously Chief Executive of The Library Association, and oversaw the launch of CILIP, which was created in 2002 from the unification of the Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists.
If you would like to pay tribute to Bob, you can email tributes@cilip.org.uk or send them to Mark Taylor, CILIP, 7 Ridgmount St, London, WC1E 7AE. A funeral service will be held at 1.30pm on Thursday (9th September) at the Solihull Methodist Church, Blossomfield Road, Solihull, B91 1LG. An event to celebrate Bob’s life will take place on 28th October in London. This commemoration will be organised by CILIP who will announce further details in due course.