Obituaries Shane Godbolt L
aura Shane Godbolt was born in Woking on 9 December 1943 and died at her home in Pinner, Middlesex, on 24 November 2019. Her career spanned more than 40 years and she has been one of the most important UK health librarians for several decades at the national and international level.
After leaving school Shane studied for three ‘A’-levels while working full time at a firm of solicitors. She gained a BA (Hons) in History at Bedford College (University of London). Whilst studying she worked as a graduate trainee library assistant at the College and as a library assistant at Cheam Public Library. Shane com-
pleted a postgraduate diploma in library studies at the Poly- technic of North London and became assistant librarian at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London. In 1970 Shane became Deputy Librarian and later Director of the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School Library, (lat- er the Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School). There she led the planning and building of a new library and de- veloped innovative services for medical staff and students including online searching and end-user training. At this time Shane became interested in international librarianship, initially through links with the International Summer School for librarians run by Professor Frank Hogg OBE, University of Aberystwyth. The British Council was also interested in her innovative work and invited her to lead a series of workshops in India where she first experienced poverty. Over the years she found innovative ways to raise funding and brought many African Librarians to Britain for conferences and study tours. In 1992 Shane moved into the NHS, initially as Regional
Librarian for North West Thames but later, due to NHS reor- ganisation, taking on a much larger role across the whole of London. She headed a policy, innovation and development unit, which from 2000 was known as the London Library and Information Development Unit. From 2003 to 2006 Shane undertook a range of consultancy projects with the NHS.
Shane became a founding Trustee of the UK charity Part- nerships in Health Information (Phi) in 1992, was Chair of Trustees from 2004 to 2006 and Director from 2006 until March 2016 when Phi transferred to the University of Winchester. In collaboration with UK academic and NHS partners, Phi worked across sub Saharan Africa (particularly Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Nigeria) local librarians and organisations to deliver practi- cal co-designed projects focused on the information needs of healthcare providers and the public. Shane was a passionate advocate of working directly with African organisations and networks to promote African leadership in health informa- tion and to support evidence-based practice. She worked very closely with officers of the pan-African organisations, the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) and the Information and Training Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA). Shane was always active in professional affairs and was involved in the development of many professional groups and activities. Shane was also founder and first editor of the Blackwell Science (now part of Wiley) title, Health Infor- mation and Libraries Journal in 1984 (formerly Health Libraries Review), which she edited for 15 years. Shane was a Fellow of the Library Association (LA) through dis- sertation, Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and holder of a Library Association Centenary Medal (one of only 100). She held Honorary Membership of the Medical Library Association (one of only three Britons ever to receive this honour) and was awarded an Honorary degree of Master to the Open University. The hallmarks of her esteemed career were: networking, building and fostering partnerships, championing interna- tional co-operation, mentoring and encouraging colleagues, and the importance of continuing professional development. Shane was closely connected with her local parish church which she served in many formal and informal ways giving generously of her time over many years. She is survived by her husband, Richard, daughters Miriam and Selina, and her five much loved grandchildren.
Nicky Whitsed With contributions by Cheryl Twomey and Richard Osborn.
Graham Hedges. Retired librarian at the London Boroughs of Southwark and Wandsworth and Secretary of Christians in Library and Information Services. A full obituary will follow.
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50 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL June-July 2020
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