Professor Wilfred L. Saunders

CBE, MA (Cantab), FLA, FIInfSc. (Hon), FCP, Litt.D. (Hon) (Sheffield)

Professor Emeritus

Professor Saunders was the founding Director of the Postgraduate School of Librarianship, which was established in 1963 as only the second University school of its kind (the other was at University College London) and which has gradually been transformed into today's Information School. He was appointed Professor in 1968 and Emeritus Professor on his retirement in 1982.

Wilf Saunders began his career in Birmingham Reference Library in 1936 and, on his return from military service during World War II, studied economics at Cambridge University. He then continued his professional career as Deputy Librarian at the Institute of Bankers, moving in 1949 to be the founding Librarian of the University of Birmingham's Institute of Education, moving to Sheffield, as Deputy University Librarian, in 1956. In 1962, Wilf was seconded to UNESCO in Uganda to set up an Educational Documentation Centre for Uganda and East Africa.

During his career Wilf gave generously of his time to professional organizations, serving as President of the Library Association in 1980, as well as to other bodies: he was a Member of Aslib Council in 1965-71 and 1973-79, and a member of the British Council from 1970 to 1987 (he was made a Life Member of the Council in 1987). From 1980 to 1985 a member of the British Library's Advisory Committee on the Research and Development Department; from 1981 to 1984, Chairman of the Library and Information Services Council; and from 1986 to 1991 he was a member of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Records. In addition, Wilf performed many consultancies and speaking engagements around the world: in 1970-72 he was a consultant to the Council of Ontario Universities on the future development of graduate eduation in Library Science and Information Science; in 1972 he undertook a lecture tour to all of South Africa's universities; from 1976 to 1985 he was a Member of UNESCO's ad hoc Committee on Education and Training; from 1984-1986 he was International Coordinator, on behalf of UNESCO and the British Council, of China's first postgradute programme in Information Studies at the Institute for Scientific and Technical Information for China (ISTIC) in Beijing.