Lois Lunin

It is with great sadness that I talk about Lois Lunin, who recently passed away. Lois was the first Watson Davis Award winner in 1976, having conceptualized the ASIS&T Bulletin and was its first editor for more than 5 years. Moreover, Lois first conceived and then edited the Perspectives series in JASIST until 2005. As editor of JASIST, I had the distinct pleasure of working with her as part of the editorial board for many years. I can recall her walking the halls at annual meetings ofASIS&T, finding guest editors for the Perspective series and then working with them to get the best possible set of papers in exciting new areas of our field. This was true even in her later years as the Perspectives editor, when she needed a cane to get around, which of course did not slow her down when it came to dancing at our meetings! She developed more creative, new ideas to benefit ASIS&T members than others could absorb. And she generously donated her time and energies to bringing her visions to fruition. In addition, she served on the ASIS&T Board of Directors. It is my understanding that Lois was instrumental in creating the Texas chapter of ASIS&T. Much of her professional life was involved in designing and implementing medical information and imaging systems. Clearly, she was a pioneer and an inspiration to many women in becoming involved in ASIS&T. She worked tirelessly to ensure that ASIS&T was vibrant and relevant in the information science and technology discipline. Lois was also a distinguished “fiber artist,” with pieces in juried shows such as the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, and elsewhere. I can recall the pleasure she had when John Wiley & Sons, Inc., the JASIST publisher, gave her a framed copy of a cover of the journal with a picture of her art on it. She was a leader, a friend, and a colleague. I can recall that I often told her that I could be the JASIST editor as long as she was there by my side to inspire and to help me. Today, we all mourn our loss. Yet, she is with us still.