John had a lifetime’s association with UCL and the Department of Information Studies, having been a post-graduate student in the 1960s, and a member of academic staff since 1965. He taught a number of courses on the post-graduate Library and Information Studies programme, including Modern book production, Collection development, Preservation & conservation management and Information sources & bibliography, but will be best remembered for Oriental and African Bibliography, which educated a generation of subject specialist librarians in the field.
John had a distinguished academic career, with many publications and several prestigious awards, including the Besterman Medal and the Walford award for his contributions to bibliography, and the Conover-Porter Award for “the most outstanding achievement in Africana bibliography and reference works”. He was particularly active on the international front, both through his scholarly work, and through his involvement with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. He had numerous friends and acquaintances in many very countries, and it was not unusual to find someone wandering about the Department, having just arrived unannounced from some far-flung outpost, and confident that they would find him ready to welcome them – which of course he invariably did.
A fuller obituary will follow in due course.