Spreading through the networks are tributes and the sad news of the passing of Clifford Lynch, founder and long time executive director of Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
Lynch was a renowned figure, lauded for his broad impact across many areas, including scholarly communication, information policy, the research enterprise, intellectual property, digital preservation, data stewardship, and countless others. His annual survey of the field, presented at CNI’s Fall Membership Meetings, was highly anticipated and considered a beacon for insights into future trends. He was a prolific writer and a sought-after speaker, recognized for his ability to distill complex concepts into accessible insights, and he was frequently invited to provide closing summations at conferences and meetings.
Known for his kindness, warmth, and humble disposition, Lynch was highly skilled at fostering connections across organizations, sectors, and professions.
Anyone ever attending a CNI meeting or other event who interacted with Cliff would know this, especially his keen ability to synthesize complex topics.
I just heard through a post of Dan Cohen’s newsletter Humane Ingenuity issue on When Information is Networked: A Tribute to Clifford Lynch which is also part of an upcoming publication of more essays in Cliff’s honor via something I had never heard of before, a “Festschrift” (Wikipedia knows)
a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the honoree’s colleagues, former pupils, and friends.