Ian Michael Stringer I


an Stringer, was born on 3 February 1948 and died on 8 Sep- tember 2024 after a short battle with liver cancer. His work in libraries began in 1966 for Huddersfield as a library assis- tant on its mobile library service and it was in this enduring and world-wide recognised area of expertise, that he became affectionately known as “Mr Mobile” amongst colleagues in the UK and the international fraternity later in his career. He con- tinued working in mobile library services in Dewsbury for Kirklees Metropolitan Council (1974-1988) and for Barnsley Public Libraries in 1998 until he became their Equal Opportu- nities Officer a few years prior to his retire- ment in 2006. A role which chimed perfectly with his deep social conscience.


Ian was educated at Batley Grammar School


in Kirklees from 1959-1966 then went straight to work, aged 18. He gained his Associate library qualification status as a day release student at Bradford Institute of Technology (now University of Bradford) later attaining Chartered status (converted to MCLIP in 2002). It was a matter of great pride for Ian, when he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship (FCLIP) in 2010 for his services promot- ing mobile libraries and the Caterpillar Book Box Project in Africa. Ian’s commitment to promoting mobile libraries became apparent when he joined the Branch and Mobiles Group of the Library Associ- ation in 1988. He was Editor of the Group’s magazine Service Point for many years and this was to give him international recognition. He became Chair of the Group in his last year of office in 2010. Ian also authored two other significant library publications. He was responsible for writing theIFLA Mobile Library Guidelines (2010) and wrote Britain’s Mobile Libraries (2001) in the Nostalgia Road Series. This penchant for writing and editing seeped into Ian’s personal interest as an avid lover of railways. He was a member of the G-Scale


John Chirgwin J


ohn Chirgwin, who died in January this year was born in Hexham, Northumberland in 1936, and educated at the local Grammar School, where he was Head of House and Captain of Rugby. He graduated with a BA from King’s College, Newcastle upon Tyne, then in the University of Durham. One memorable season playing rugby for Tynedale, the local Hexham club, came to an abrupt end with Saturday working when in 1959 he joined Gateshead Public Libraries as a Library Assistant under Tom Cardy, after an abortive foray into the family decorating business. In the next three years John progressed to Assistant Cataloguer then to Central Reference and Local History Librarian, gaining Chartered Librarian status by private study. In 1964, John left Gateshead to become the


first Tutor Librarian at Dumfries Technical College, where he became qualified as a Teacher at Jordanhill College of Education in Glasgow, and completed his Fellowship of the Association again by private study. At Dumfries he laid the foundations of library provision at what is now a regional college. He assisted with the planning of library provision for a new college building at Dumfries but left in 1969 before the planning became a reality. Having been appointed College Librarian at Stockport College of Technology, John moved to Cheshire where he spent the remain- der of his professional career. Here he became responsible for library provision supporting courses at every level from craft to degree across a wide subject range. Being dually qualified, he developed a Library Tutorial Service and a CGLI Library Assis-


tants Course for the staff of neighbouring Local Authorities. Out of this course emerged the Library Assistant’s Manual, co-writ- ten at first with Phyllis Oldfield, which sold worldwide in four editions from 1978 to the early 1990s. John was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1972, and to Principal


Lecturer in 1974. He supervised the planning of a new library building at Stockport which opened in 1974. As well as the introduction of IT provision for students, all library functions and routines were automated during his time. In 1981, he was awarded a Master of Science degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. John took early retirement at the age of 56 in 1993. For two years he was Manager of Buxton Christian Bookshop. A lifelong member of the Methodist Church, he became Church Treasur- er at Kettleshulme in the High Peak and was instrumental in a major building and refurbishment scheme there. As Treasurer for the Methodist History and Archives Commit- tee he supported the Methodist Archives Research Centre at John Rylands University Library at Manchester and at the Methodist Missionary Society Archive at SOAS in the University of London. John was an avid book collector and spent a happy retirement trawling second hand bookshops in search of collectable titles. With his wife Mary, a retired librarian and teacher, whom he met while they were both library assistants at Gateshead, John enjoyed winter holidays on the Algarve in Portugal. His son David and daughter-in-law Tonya, also a librarian, often joining them. He is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Catherine, son David and daughter in law Tonya.


Mary Chirgwin


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 2024 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 55


Society, dedicated to supporters of garden railways and edited the society’s journal whilst creating a superb garden railway of his own. Ian became Chair of the IFLA Mobile Libraries Section between 2002–2005 and then a member of the IFLA Public Libraries Section until 2010 where, with Joyce Jelks (USA), he pioneered the Caterpillar Project for libraries in South Africa, Burkino Faso and Ghana providing book-boxes to remote areas in these coun- tries. This international work was a key part of Ian’s promotion of mobile libraries which took him to conferences and seminars in 24 countries in all six continents often including mobile library “meets” and IT sessions coordinated by Ian, his son Paul and his international colleagues. After retirement from IFLA duties, Ian became a member of the International Library and Information Group of CILIP in 2011 and chaired that committee’s work from 2014-2019, whilst also becom- ing a Committee member of his regional group in Yorkshire and Humberside. He was a member of the Eurolis planning group dedicated to promoting European languages via seminars and the provision of children’s books in the UK and also became a Governor to his local primary school in Hensall. His passion for promoting libraries and librarianship led him to do talks to local community groups and library events which attracted great interest and some- times hilarity, with his love of puns and amusing stories which pep- pered his illustrated presentations. The presentations had a serious campaigning side to them though, as is evident from this comment by an attender of one event; “Thank you to Ian Stringer for his wonderful talk... As he advises, promote yourself, and if people see ‘librarian’ as a boring role, change the perspective, not the title!” Ian is survived by his two sons Paul and Andy and his two grandchildren Lucas and Felix.


John Lake BA FCLIP


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