In Memoriam

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Murray L. Bob in Japan, where he had been visiting his son.

Mr. Bob had been Director of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System since 1963 and Director of the James Prendergast Library since 1967. He had a national reputation as a passionate advocate of public libraries.

In Jamestown, Mr. Bob initiated many services such as a bookmobile, books-by-mail, film and video, and radio reading for the blind and physically challenged. He also spearheaded efforts to build two additions to the Library/System headquarters building and oversaw the conversion to an automated circulation system and online catalog, creation of a home page, and the achievement of Electronic Doorway status by every library in the System.

Since 1984, Mr. Bob had published about 120 articles in approximately 80 publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Before he came to Jamestown, he had been assistant city librarian in Richmond, CA, and a librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Mr. Bob received his bachelor’s degree in social sciences at the City College of New York and his master’s degree in library science at the State University of New York at Albany.

A past president of the New York Library Association and former chairman of the Public Library System Directors Organization of New York, he served on many boards and committees throughout New York and also was sought as a library consultant in Minnesota, Connecticut, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

He was listed in Who’s Who in the East and won the distinguished alumnus award from the School of Library and Information Science at SUNY Albany in 1984.

He had been a judge for the American Book Awards and received the Allie Beth Martin Award from the American Library Association.

He had lectured at the University of Illinois and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Library and Information Studies.

Mr. Bob leaves his wife, Renate; two sons, Clifford and Daniel; a daughter, Elisa; and two grandchildren, Alex and Natalie.

The Jamestown Post-Journal, April 10, 2003:

Library System Director, Dies In Japan At 73

By MANLEY ANDERSON

Murray Bob, director of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System and the James Prendergast Library Association, died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday.

Bob, 73, and his wife of 51 years, Renate, were visiting their son, Daniel, in Japan.

''Murray's loss is going to be deeply felt throughout this community where he has served for nearly 40 years in a leadership position,'' said Richard Reddington, president of the board of the Prendergast Library Association. ''He was a man of great learning, a wonderful sense of humor and absolute devotion to the freedom of information.

''I would say having worked with him for 10 years on the library system board and now serving as president of the Prendergast Library board, I will miss him both professionally and personally.''

Miles L. Lasser, a library past president and board member for many years said Bob ''was one of the great assets of this area.''

''The Prendergast Library and the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus System are outstanding in the country and he could be given most of the credit for that,'' Lasser said. ''Aside from his professional qualifications, which were absolutely tops, he was a most competent writer and thinker and had op-ed pieces in many newspapers, including the New York Times, and he was a sound thinker and philosopher and a wonderful and warm friend.''

Bob had served as director of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System since 1963 and as director of Prendergast Association since 1967.

He was a past president of the New York Library Association and served as adviser, chairman, consultant, trustee, member or liaison with a wide range of professional organizations as well as being active with several community service organizations. Bob held library positions in Philadelphia and Richmond, Calif., before coming to Jamestown, where he initiated Bookmobile, Books by Mail, and film and video services, along with heading efforts to build two additions to the headquarters building.

Bob initiated the Prendergast Library book sale 24 years ago and which now rates as one of the largest in the Northeast, netting more than $20,000 annually for new library materials.

He was recipient of numerous honors at the regional, state and national level for his library accomplishments and since 1984 has had more than 120 articles published in about 80 publications nationally.

''(Bob) was an excellent administrator and at the same time he was an intellectual,'' said Samuel P. Price Sr, a retired area attorney and the person who hired Bob for the library. ''He was brilliant and wise, which is a combination you don't often see together.

''He did a lot innovative things for the library - the filming, the microfilming and other advances. He was an outstanding fund raiser, whether from foundations, the city or the county, and he was successful because I think the people knew the outstanding job he was doing and how he handled the money that came in.''

''Obviously we're deeply saddened and our prayers go out to the family,'' said Stephen Lavery, library system board president. ''From my perspective just in working with him, Murray was probably the best administrator I ever knew. He handled the library system flawlessly. I would consider him the quintessential public servant.''

Catherine Way, assistant director of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System and the James Prendergast Library had a long working relationship with Bob.

''It was a privilege to work for him,'' Ms. Way said. ''I worked with him for 30 years. He was more than a good boss. He was a good friend, wonderful teacher, great mentor. He was passionate about ideas and he wanted man's knowledge to be shared with all people and he was just a formidable force for public libraries. He truly believed that libraries were really important to a free society and they enabled a freer exchange of ideas.

''Certainly, he built this library and the libraries in the two counties during his 40 years of service. You don't get to become one of the top 100 libraries in the country without a lot of work,'' she said. ''He cared a great deal about the people who worked for him and wanted to make sure their jobs were kept as secure as possible. He was a modest man and would deflect praise and say it was the boards and the great staffs he had but, in truth, he was the driving force.''

''Murray really was 'Mr. Library' probably in Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County as well,'' said Thomas I. Flowers, an area attorney. ''He had just so many wonderful attributes and I know he was highly regarded by his staff and all the other people who came in contact with him in the county.

''Murray was always such a keen thinker and he could express himself so eloquently. He was so understated in his manner but so effective.''

Besides his his wife, with whom he lived at 571 Front St., Jamestown, he is survived by two sons: Clifford of Pittsburgh and Daniel of Japan; a daughter, Elisa of Washington, D.C., and two grandchildren: Alex and Natalie of Pittsburgh.

Funeral arrangements will be announced.