Issue 37
November 2010
Professor Dr. Maurice Line quietly passed away on Sept. 22nd aged 82 after a long illness.
He was director general of Boston Spa library and lectured and later consulted at libraries all over the globe, and was highly revered by his peers.
Maurice was a brilliant academic and after retirement loved walking, had a huge collection of classical music and folk music from all over the world, enthused over rugby and cricket, loved dancing (which he executed after his own fashion according to Joyce, his wife), and when bored, started something new like woodwork at the Home he was in.
As a true humanitarian he was active in and supported many charities, was chairman of the UNA for many years, also chairman of the Harrogate U3A and started the Current Affairs group there. His interests were vast.
He was always available with word and deed, his advice invaluable.
He loved philosophy, poetry, science, current affairs and working towards World Peace, and wrote extensively for the Librarian Journals. His greatest joy was reading and blessed with a hugely retentive memory he was a source of enormous knowledge. His quick wit was famous and he enjoyed interaction with people on every level.
To me he was a dear friend for many years and I shall miss him very much, as of course will all his family and friends and so many people whose life he had touched.
Siggie Mattison
On 21 July, 24 members of U3A visited the British Library at Thorp Arch arranged by the Science Group.
As an introduction, Dr. Barrie Knight, Head of Conservation explained the need for
conservation of all the different forms in which information is held by the Library
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This was followed by a tour of some of the Library buildings with knowledgeable guides who showed us some parts of the mechanised systems by which books and documents were stored, retrieved and dispatched to meet customers' requests. Several Universities have contracts with the Library to keep books and journals available for their quick access.
It proved to be a very interesting visit, although in one afternoon it was possible
to see only a small part of the operations of this large and growing organisation,
which provides a world-
The visit was offered to us in honour of Maurice Line’s long service there.
John Kendal
