Two bits of sad news this week - after a two-year battle against cancer, Audrone Glosiene, one of our Editorial Board members died on Monday, aged 50. Audrone had been a faculty member in the Faculty of Communication, University of Vilnius for many years before becoming University Librarian. She had begun major changes at the University Library, which her successor will no doubt wish to continue. Audrone was a founder member of the Editorial Board and a strong advocate of open access - she will be missed.
Another departure - Robert Taylor, known to many for his work on 'value added' information processes and the concept of the information use environment died on 1st January at the age of 90. I had followed his work since he was at Lehigh University and still have some of the working papers he published there. I met Robert a number of times and corresponded with him. I always found him to be a real gentleman, capable of expressing criticism without being aggresive and willing to advise and make helpful suggestions. On a number of occasions when I published something, I received an interesting message from Robert, often suggesting ways of pursuing an idea I had just dropped into a paper. He has left a solid body of work to the field which I am sure will continue to be cited for many years to come.
Always sad to hear of deaths, even of people I didn't know except by reputation. Whilst it's a reminder of one's own mortality when one's peers leave (which becomes more regular the older you get) hearing of the death of someone 15 years younger than I is not pleasant. And you've lost a respected colleague.
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