Citation
Hunter, E.J. (2014), "Obituary: Linda Susan Ashcroft (née Mathison)", New Library World, Vol. 115 No. 1/2. https://doi.org/10.1108/NLW-10-2013-0084
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Obituary: Linda Susan Ashcroft (née Mathison)
Article Type: Editorial From: New Library World, Volume 115, Issue 1/2
It is with great sadness that New Library World announces the death of Dr Linda Ashcroft, the Editor from 1993, who died suddenly in late September 2013. Dr Ashcroft worked tirelessly to ensure that the journals reputation was maintained, developed and enhanced. She won a number of Leading Editor Awards in the Literati Network Awards for Excellence, developed contacts across the international library and information science community, and was an adviser to Emerald Group Publishing.
Linda was born in 1947, brought up in Liverpool, and educated at Holly Lodge School and Millbank College. After leaving school, she worked for a firm of solicitors and then for an insurance company before attending the University of Liverpool as a mature student. She obtained an honours degree in English Literature and Sociology and this chosen subject provides a clear indication of where her career inclinations lay. It was no surprise when she subsequently (1986-1987) undertook a Postgraduate Course in Information and Library Studies at Liverpool Polytechnic. Later she converted this to an MA (with Distinction). Linda then became Information Officer for a Liverpool Housing Association before moving into education as a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University in 1992.
Linda worked for the university for almost 20 years until her retirement in December 2010. She taught on both the degree and postgraduate courses and was Programme Leader for the MA Information and Library Management from 1996 to 2005. Her interests lay mainly in the fields of resource management and public relations. After being appointed as Reader of Information Management, Linda concentrated on research. One of her prime concerns, as revealed by her doctoral thesis title, was “The development of electronic resources in libraries: effective marketing and communication. She made a very valuable contribution to learning and research within the university and, after retirement, continued as Visiting Research Fellow in the Business School. Linda was a Member of both the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and acted as External Examiner at a number of higher educational institutions.
Lindas professional involvement, international activity and research work were wide ranging. She served for some years as a Committee Member of several sections of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), including those concerned with “Continuing Professional Education and Workplace Learning and “Library Journals. She was Chair of BAILER (British Association for Information and Library Education and Research) from 1996-2004 and a chair or member of programme committees for various high profile conferences. She was the recipient of funds for many important research projects, one of which related to education and training in the NHS, an issue she viewed as being of great importance (her MA dissertation was concerned with Project 2000, the university-based system of nurse education initiated by the government in 1988).
Lindas publications: conference papers, research reports, contributions to monographs and journal articles are too numerous to mention.
Away from the university, Linda was passionate about her garden. She was also a cat lover and had three at one time, black, white and brown; the black one being called “Pudding! She was an avid collector of teddy bears; they were spread all over her house! Linda attended the gym regularly and was a keen runner. She and a number of fellow information and library studies lecturers formed themselves into a group and regularly ran in organised 5k runs. When the Polytechnic became a University, they called themselves the “Polygons, and then, after they moved to the Business School, the “Busybodies.
Linda was a dedicated church goer and a very caring person. She was ever generous of her time and help when dealing with students and was an exceptionally hard working and valued colleague. Linda was an outstanding editor and will be a very hard act to follow. She will be sadly missed by all those who knew her.
Eric J. Hunter