Ruth Carlyle, Co-Chair CILIP Health Libraries Group and Head of Knowledge and Library Services (NHS KLS Leadership)
As many readers will be aware, Bob Gann was one of the great innovators and developers of health librarianship, particularly in relation to developing health information for the public. Bob Gann died suddenly at the end of July. His family has shared openly that Bob struggled with depression for many years and has asked that any donations in his memory should be made to the Samaritans.
Bob started his professional life as an NHS librarian in Hampshire. He founded the charity ‘Help for Health’, and as Chief Executive of the charity, he was asked to be one of 25 signatories to the 1997 NHS Plan. As the Director of New Media for NHS Direct and then the Director of Partnerships and Strategy for the NHS Choices website, Bob helped to shape access to health information for the public.
In 2002, Bob Gann was awarded the Cyril Barnard Award by the CILIP Health Libraries Group in recognition of his contributions to health librarianship and health information.
Bob always took a collaborative approach, engaging the voluntary sector in his work within the NHS. He embraced both the rise of digital technologies and remained aware of the additional layers of inequalities. His last projects were a review of digital health inequalities for the Welsh Government and supporting CILIP as part of the National Health Literacy Partnership work to increase the confidence of staff in public libraries to provide health information to the public – this led to the collaboration between the National Health Literacy Partnership and the NHS App team for work in public libraries, which is an explicit part of the 2025 Ten Year Health Plan.
Always generous in sharing his learning and willing to learn from others, Bob had a huge impact and will be greatly missed.
The Health Libraries Group has been asked by CILIP to provide an obituary for inclusion in Information Professional. If you have a story about Bob that you would like to share, do contact Ruth Carlyle at Chair1.HLG@cilip.org.uk
If you or anyone you know is depressed or has had suicidal thoughts, do contact the Samaritans for support.
Health Libraries Group 