INSIGHT
‘‘ UKeiG
Celebrating advances in information retrieval – the timeless conundrum
O
N a work visit to London in November 2023 I made a detour to collect the Tony Kent Strix Award memorial
statuette from the retiring Chair of the judging panel, Douglas Veal. He has dedicated years managing and promoting this prestigious accolade; a bronze owl captured in flight. Veal was a member of the original working group that approached the Institute of Information Scientists (IIS) with the idea to honour the lifetime achievements of Dr Tony Kent after his death in October 1997. The Award was inaugurated in 1998 by the IIS and is now presented by the UK e-information Group in partnership with the International Society for Knowledge Organisation UK Chapter (ISKO UK), the British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group (BCS IRSG) and the Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Information and Computer Applications Group (RSC CICAG). It is a brilliant example of the importance of cross-sectorial and organisational collaboration in information science, and celebrates outstanding practical innovation and achievement in search and information retrieval. Inscribed on the base of the statuette are the names of the luminaries who have been presented with the award over the years, starting with Professor Stephen Robertson, City University in 1998 and most recently Martin White FBCS FRSC, HonFCLIP, Principal Analyst at SearchReseach Online. White has made UKeiG history by being presented with both the 2023 Strix and Jason Farradane awards. (Farradane is presented in recognition of his contribution to the wider library and information profession.)
To complement the bronze statuette each winner is presented with a personal engraved glass trophy and their names
16 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
are added to a roll call published in the annual Tony Kent Strix memorial booklet. It’s fascinating to review the rich history of the award during a period where AI is shaping a new paradigm of information retrieval and resource discovery. Intriguing also that Tony Kent’s wise words are still ringing true today. “Making life easier for text-retrievers is a great objective. What is really required is a recognition that real literacy (as opposed to computer literacy) is a necessary prerequisite for the effective use of information, and that computer technology can only, at best, provide gadgets that reduce drudgery.” The Strix working group consisted of
Veal, Derek Barlow, Alan Gilchrist and Peter Vickers.
“Tony Kent was a man of many parts; a leader, an innovator, a teacher and someone highly active in the international information scene. He made a major contribution to the development of information science and to information services in the UK and internationally.” Tony was a strong proponent of international cooperation and of sharing technological advances, a far-sighted vision in today’s open-source world. His contribution to chemical information dissemination and retrieval, software development and programming expertise is extensive.
The Strix memorial booklet highlights the combination of skills and traits Tony Kent had to lead the way in information retrieval research and development. Veal recalls his inspiring and tremendous enthusiasm. “He was a man who saw the big picture. You need visionaries to see the way ahead, to drive things through and make them happen. He was a ‘can-do’ man, if he hit a snag, he would find a way round. He spoke to people, motivated them, encouraged them and got them to do what he wanted and so got the best out of them.”
Tony Kent was driven by the need to
Gary Horrocks (
info.ukeig@
cilip.org.uk) UK e-information Group.
“get on with the job of providing folk with systems that find the information that they want,” but was aware of the immense complexity of this task. “If there is a central truth that can be identified in this field it is that there is not, and never will be, one best way of achieving the goal. Neither free text retrieval, nor classification, nor statistical analysis, nor weighted search, nor any of the 101 other ways doing things necessarily suffice on their own.”
“I will no doubt be accused of elitism if I expressed my long-held view that the processes of information management and retrieval can never be simplified to a point where they may be conducted by half-wits (which is why incidentally it is a waste of time and effort to sweat blood building pretty user interfaces and the like). Finding useful information is an intelligent process requiring intelligent people because at the end of the day only the intelligent can recognise what is useful.”
Many of these compelling and eloquent comments could be cited in library and information school exam questions to this day. Thought provoking. Playing the devil’s advocate. With Douglas Veal’s retirement UKeiG is actively seeking new members to help carry on the worthy Strix tradition. Information about all UKeiG’s awards and bursaries is on the CILIP website, where you can also find the Memorial booklet and information about previous winners. IP
December 2023
It’s fascinating to review the rich history of the [Strix] award during a period where AI is shaping a new paradigm of information retrieval and resource discovery.
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