Obituaries T
Tony Eves
ony Eves died unexpectedly on 23 March 2022, aged 76, in hospital shortly after being found in distressing circumstances at his home near Bath. For most of his career he was a reference librar- ian in the London Borough of Enfield where he worked from 1970 until he retired in 2005.
Anthony John Eves spent his early years in Hounslow, Middlesex and later at Reigate, Surrey, but when he was 16 his family moved to Bath and Tony attended the City of Bath Boys’ School and later the University of Exeter, where he read Classics. He first worked in libraries at Bath where, as a trainee, a friendliness and ease in dealing with members of the public and
an aptitude for reference work was quickly apparent. He attended the Birmingham School of Librarianship, joining the Library Association in January 1969. At Enfield Tony began in the bibliographical unit at Palmers Green Library, then joined lending services at Fore Street, Edmonton; but by 1975 he was back at Palmers Green as assistant reference librarian, taking charge the following year when Keri Davies moved to Enfield Cen- tral Library. In 1991 he conceived and set up a Business Library which, less than three years later, was answering nearly 5,500 enquiries a year. Despite its success, the venture was short-lived, thanks to the enlightened policies of the local authority.
Keri Davies remembers him as “a hard-working and conscientious librarian” adding that “reference work depends not just on book stock and online resources, but also on what your colleagues can provide. When Tony was business librarian, everything business-related was
just passed to him, but he could [still] help with recondite enquiries relating to stamp collecting, or steam trains, or gardening (he understood the binomial jargon with which horticulturalists seek to bamboozle the amateur gardener), and much else. I particularly remember Tony explaining the conjugation of Greek nouns and thus sorting out an enquiry I had about St Luke’s Gospel.
“The more I think about Tony the more I realise that he was that rare thing, an entirely good man. I remember him at Palmers Green listening sympathetically without fear or condescension to a convicted murderer telling his tale. I don’t think I could have coped.”
Peter Brown remembers: “Customers were 100 per cent sure of the most thorough and exacting answer that they were likely to receive in North London, and over the years [he] established a collection and the knowledge to back up his answers from sources far and wide.”
Mike Jones recalls that “he loved his work as a reference librarian so much that sometimes it overwhelmed him”. Tony kept in touch throughout his life with friends made at school, at Bath Libraries, university, library school and at Enfield – corresponding and often meeting up with them – many of whom attended his funeral. Interests included rail- ways – a lifelong passion – stamps, coins, visiting historic sites and buildings, walking, particularly in the countryside around his home near Bath, gardening and of course Clas- sics, for which he discovered an ability at school and was always with him. He also enjoyed a good dinner! Stephen Eley called Tony “one of the kindest men I knew, but exasperatingly lovable” and Mike Jones remembers “a very charming and conscientious man and one of a kind”. He will be much missed by friends and former col- leagues.
Norman Ashfield, Peter Brown, Keri Davies, Stephen Eley, Bob and Ruth Hellen, Gillian Huggins, Mike Jones – friends and former colleagues from Bath and Enfield Libraries
Mike Godwin M
ike Godwin died peacefully after a short illness on 7 February 2022, at the age of 69. Growing up in Manchester, he was the first member of the Godwin family to at- tend university, going up to study English at Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1971.
His passion for books made a career in libraries almost
inevitable, and after graduation he attended Sheffield Uni- versity (1975-6) to read for a Master’s degree in Librarian- ship. He was recruited on to Manchester Public Libraries’ pioneering graduate trainee programme, and prospered under the guidance of the Director, George Lovell, who
50 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
astutely grasped the potential of using government inner cities funding to renew and develop library services in the city. As Planning and Development Officer, Mike made a major contribution to this programme, which saw libraries re-designated as ‘cultural centres’. He also took a time out to complete a community arts course; invaluable expe- rience when he became a Senior Librarian, developing a range of community cultural activities in south Manchester, including services to African Caribbean communities in Hulme and Moss Side. In 1986 he moved to Humberside County Council and rose to the position of Assistant County Librarian. Following Humberside’s abolition in 1996, he
September 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
