Maurice Line

Who was Maurice Line?

Maurice B. Line was a leading figure in library and information science within the UK. From 1974 to 1985 he was director general of the British Library Lending Division at Boston Spa, and from 1985 to 1988 he was the British Library's director general for science, technology and industry.

Maurice Line was born in Bedford and educated at Bedford School. He read English at Exeter College, Oxford.

His first post as a librarian was at the Bodleian Library in 1950. He became librarian of the University of Bath in 1968. In 1971 he was appointed head of the National Central Library, and was involved with the British Library from its inception, becoming a member of the organising committee when the BL was first planned in 1971 and serving as a member of its board from 1974 until his retirement in 1988.