Foskett , Douglas John , 1918-2004 , librarian

Douglas John Foskett was born on 27 June 1918. He was educated at Queen Mary College, London, (BA 1939) and Birkbeck College, London (MA 1954). Foskett held positions at municipal and academic libraries, Ilford Municipal Libraries 1940-1948, Librarian of the University of London Institute of Education 1957-1978 and Director of Central Library Services and Goldsmith's Librarian at the University of London, 1978-1983. He was Chairman of the Library Association in 1962, Vice President, 1966 to 1973 and President in 1976. He also served on many library committees including, Honorary Library Adviser to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf 1965 to 1990; member of the Advance Committee on Science and Technical Information 1969 to 1973; a Committee member for UNISIST/UNESCO and EUDISED/Council of Europe Projects. Foskett was a visiting Professor at the Universities of Michigan, 1964; Ghana, 1967; Ibadan 1967; Brazilian Institute for Bibliography and Documentation, 1971 and the University of Iceland 1974. He published widely on information services. Publications include Assistance to Readers in Lending Libraries, 1952, Reader in Comparative Librarianship, 1977, as well as contributions to many professional journals.