PEOPLE
retrieval and the thesaurus – c.1940-1967. Norman participated fully in the work of the Department, which, during this period was involved in numerous pro- grammes for the British Council, involving residential courses in Sheffield, and travel to other countries, including a visit to run seminars on library management in Nigeria. He served as head of the Centre for Research on User Studies from 1983 until his retirement in 1988 and, together with Professor Tom Wilson, established the journal, Social Science Information Studies. On the retirement of Professor Wilf Saunders as Head of Department, he served as Acting Head in 1981-82. Norman Roberts had a long, fruitful and fulfilling life and will be remembered by many former students around the world for his helpful criticism of their work and for his sense of humour. Newly appointed colleagues also benefitted from
Keith Wilson K
eith Wilson was born in Newcastle on the 23 April 1951 and grew up in Chapel House, a new housing estate on the edge of the city. He went to Dame Allan’s Boys’ School in Fenham in September 1962 where he met Brian Adcock who said:
“We were good friends all the way through school, and when we were in the sixth form, we often used to visit the Peregrine, the pub just near his home” – a pub they con- tinued to meet at after they left school. Keith left school in 1969 and became a student/trainee at Morpeth and Cramling- ton the same year.
Between 1971-73 he studied librarianship at Northumbria University – or Newcastle Polytechnic as it was – and after qualifying was appointed the first Technical Librarian
for his employer, Morpeth and Cramlington. Margaret joined Morpeth Library as Library Assistant in 1974. Brian said: “They became an item very quickly and were engaged in the September of 1974, and married on the 2nd of August the following year, 1975.” He said: “Over a pint one night Keith asked me to be his best man.”
Between 1976 and 1980 Keith studied for a BA in behavioural sciences from the Open University while also studying for a cer- tificate in Amenity Horticulture at Northumberland College. It would be hard to list all of Keith’s qualifications and significant
associations. Brian said: “working full time was not enough, he was a committee member of the Federation of Master Builders, a member of the Institute of Information Scientists. a member of the Interna- tional Federation of Standards Users, and a member of CILIP.” Keith moved out the public sector in 1979 to work with Faulkner Brown architects, where he stayed until 1990 when he moved to RIBA Enterprises Ltd to be its Electronic Services Manager and Electronic Services Director. In 2001 he joined the National Build- ing Specifications and became their Information Services Director in 2001 and then Technical Information Director in 2007.
Andrea Beddard-Smith met Keith while she was a librarian at Arup and encouraged him to join BSS and the BSG saying this is “where he started to make his mark being an authoritative voice on Construction Standards. In 2013 he became BSS Deputy Chair and was always supportive, someone to turn to for advice and a knowledgeable source of information.” Keith was elected to the IFAN Board in 2014 and helped Andrea in making BSS’s members views known in IFAN and other bodies. She said: “I will remember Keith for his sound and measured advice, his amazing knowledge of construction stand- ards, his lovely accent and his love of cakes – often while the rest of us were having lunch he would be ordering cakes!” Keith was CILIP’s interim Chief Development Officer until his unexpected death in June 2024. Technically retired, Keith was undertaking this role for CILIP alongside his plentiful and varied work as a Construction Information Consultant. His activity within CILIP was impactful and prolific. He was awarded Honor- ary Fellowship of CILIP in in recognition of his enormous con- tributions to our Board, groups and various committees over the years. Keith was the co-author of the sector’s skills standard the CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) in 2014, and went on to lead the task group to write an updated version, launched in 2021. The PKSB is recognised as a gold standard framework globally and is the basis of all formal professional development and accredited qualifications in the UK. Keith’s professionalism and technical skills were recognised by all who worked with him, but above all, as Brian said: “Keith was good at many things, and he excelled in being good with people.” His nomination as CILIP’s mentor of the year in 2021 is tes- tament to the fact that Keith never stopped giving back to the profession and was considered a remarkable peer, mentor and leader by the community.
The words for this obituary are taken from a eulogy given by his friend Brian Adcock and former colleague and friend Andrea Beddard-Smith.
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.
September 2024 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 51
his help and advice in negotiating their new work environ- ment. A native Welsh speaker, he suffered whenever Wales lost at rugby or football, and it was said that, at some time, he had served as goal-keeper for Caernarfon Town. Norman is survived by his wife, Tania, and by two daughters from his first marriage, Susan and Gillian.
Professor Tom Willson, PHD, Professor Emeritus, University of Sheffield.
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