Michel Boisset

Michel Boisset

On May 2, Michel Boisset died in Paris, at the age of 79. From 1975 to 1983 Michel worked at the EUI: first, in the position of Deputy Director, and then as Director of the Library.  Along with Kenneth Humphreys, he was one of the founders of the EUI Library.

Michel Boisset had begun his career as conservateur (curator) of Oriental manuscripts at the Bibliothèque nationale, in Paris. He then moved to the Directorate General of libraries, with responsibility for an automation project for French libraries.

After his time at the EUI, Michel returned to France, with a new position at the Library of the Sciences Po.  Subsequently, he had several executive positions, including the directorship of the National University Library of Strasbourg. Michel was an innovator and a pioneer in the domain of  IT applications in libraries. With a small team of librarians and IT specialists he developed for the EUI one of the first integrated library automation systems in Europe, which was later adopted by major French and Italian institutions. Aware that a new library could not on its own respond adequately to the needs of EUI researchers and faculty,   he set out to design and promote the SBN project (the current Italian libraries network) in collaboration with the Italian libraries.

Those who knew Michel remember him as a sociable, gentle and versatile person, with great energy and initiative.  Michel was very fond of the Institute, and almost every year he used to pay a short visit to the Badia.  For Annie and Michel’s children Jean, Kim, Aline and Marie, we offer our deepest condolences.

-Tommaso Giordano
Deputy Director, EUI Library