Robin Carfrae Alston

Background

Alston, Robin Carfrae was born on January 29, 1933 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Son of Wilfred Louis Alston and Margaret Louise MacKenzie.

Education

Bachelor in English language and literature with honors, University British Columbia, 1954. Bachelor in English language and literature, Oxford (England) University, 1956. Master of Arts, Oxford (England) University, 1958.

Master of Arts, University Toronto, 1958. Doctor of Philosophy, University London, 1964.

Career

Teaching fellow University Toronto, 1956-1958. Lecturer New Brunswick University, Fredericton, Canada, 1958-1960. Lecturer in English literature Leeds (England) University, 1964-1976.

Founder, chairman, managing director Scolar Press, Menston, England, 1965-1973. Founder, managing director Janus Press, Ilkley, England, 1973-1980. Editor, consultant British Library., London, since 1976.

Professor library studies, director school archive and information studies University College, University London, since 1990. Research fellow Newberry Library., Chicago, 1963. David Murray lecturer University Glasgow, Scotland, 1983.

Guest lecturer University London, 1983, Sorbonne, 1984, Tokyo Symposium on Microreproduction, 1984, Cecil Oldman lecturer Leeds University, 1988, 89. Morris Memorial lecturer Royal Institution, 1991. Founding member, trustee Ilkley (England) Literature Festival, since 1973.

Member advisory committee Modern Language Association American, since 1980. Member advisory panel Australian Research Grants Committee, since 1983. Member advisory board Cambridge History of Book in Britain, since 1989.

Consultant Consortium University Research Libraries, 1985-1986. Advisor to Government of Pakistan on establishing The National Library of Pakistan, 1988.

Works

• book

  • The Direction Line 4 A newsletter for biblilographers and textual critics

Membership

Fellow Society Antiquaries Library. Association (honorary). Member Bibliographical Society (member council 1968-1974, vice president 1975, president 1988-1990), Frederic Madden Society (junior founder).

Connections

Married Janet Pedley King, 1996.