PEOPLE


innovation, as she fearlessly embraced technology to create immersive learning experiences. Johanna’s expertise in digital scholarship and virtual reality led to the development of pioneer- ing educational apps, opening new doors of understanding for students in the realms of history, text, and technology. She continued to inspire and engage, even in the face of second- ary cancers, demonstrating a resilience that touched the hearts of


Michael Saich M


ichael’s childhood, like that of many others, was frac- tured by the war and three years of evacuation. He took the 11 plus examination while away and won one of only ten scholarships for the whole of London in 1941, and went on to attend the William Ellis Grammar School on


the edge of Hampstead Heath.


He started work as a junior library assistant at Islington Public Libraries. National Service came next for nearly three years rather than the usual two, due to the Berlin Wall crisis: incidentally he was actually in Berlin on LA interna- tional business when the wall came down and he brought a piece of it home. Returning to work he commenced studying part-time for Membership at


the North-Western Polytechnic. Later he studied full-time for his Fellowship with Edward Dudley at the Polytechnic. He moved from senior posts at Islington to Finchley, Barnet and then the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1965 with Philip Colehan, the Librarian of the new borough, on the reorganisation of the London Boroughs. He became Deputy Borough Librarian of the London Borough of Merton and Borough Librarian in 1983 until retirement in 1993. He negotiated and largely designed the new central library in Merton Civic Centre, with strong Scandina- vian influence.


Meanwhile he was elected to the LA London and Home Coun- ties Branch Committee becoming Chairman in 1977, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year he was pleased to point out. Mike’s professional


Hazel Casimir, née Dobinson H


azel Sicele Casimir, née Dobinson, who has died at the age of 95, was born in 1927 and educated at Godolphin and Latymer School, Hammersmith. She studied in the School of Librarian-ship at Ealing Technical College.


Her first professional post was at Chelsea Public Library, a role which she found very culturally and socially fulfilling.


Hazel met her husband, Paul Casimir (obituary Library Association Record December 1962, p. 502), during a Library Association study tour to Paris in 1951 and married him in 1954. Hazel subsequently worked at Purley Public Library,


Surrey, and as Hospitals Librarian in Swindon, Wiltshire. She and Paul had three children: Philippa (also a librarian) and twins Crispin and Piers. Paul was Tutor Librarian at Dacorum College of Further Education, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford- shire, at the time of his early death in 1962. Hazel then moved her young family to St Albans, where she later returned to part- time work at its Central Library.


Hazel kept in touch with many former colleagues, almost all of whom she outlived.


Philippa Parker (daughter)


For obituary submissions and guidance please email rob.green@cilip.org.uk with subject “obituary”, or write to us at Obituaries, CILIP, Room 150, c/o British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB.


October-November 2023 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 53


involvement with the London Home Counties Branch (LHCB) of the Library Association and the Library Services Trust allowed him to pursue his passion for international library work and travel. As a Chair and working member of these bodies he organised library study tours of European countries, notably of the Rhones-Alpes region of France in 1987 using the contacts he established with librarians in the European cultural centres based in London. In 2002, he and Eric Winter (then Secretary of the LHCB) established a project entitled Eurotoolbox with these organisa- tions. This annual collection of children’s books in European languages available to all libraries in the UK free of charge, has proved so successful it still continues to this day. He supported Eric Winter in the setting up of the Library Services Trust; he continued to serve on this until he was able to hand over to Barbara Band in 2019. He served on the Benevolent Fund Com- mittee for several years, using his wisdom to good effect. Unlike most of us who like to be useful in retirement, he believed that retirement meant retirement. He kept busy and active: he walked; he gardened; he supported West Ham FC; he and his wife became members of Surrey Gardens Trust enjoy- ing many visits to estates and gardens of renown; he travelled, visiting Malaysia, Australia, Canada, South Africa; he cruised on small boats, the Channel Islands, Southern Ireland, the Orkneys and Shetlands, Sicily and finally and superlatively, the Nile in Egypt.


He shared deep affection with his wife and two daughters and their families.


Beryl Saich, wife with contributions from John Lake


all who knew her. She retired in April 2023 but remained part of Information Studies as an Honorary Research Fellow. Johanna is survived by her parents, Wynn and Dave, her much loved cat Cora, and a wide circle of friends.


Ann Gow, Professor of Information Studies University of Glasgow


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