Pat Flowers Remembered (Alan Ritch, UC Santa Cruz

On Tuesday, March 23, 1999, the University of California lost one of its finest librarians, when Pat Flowers, UC Riverside, passed away, having suffered a heart attack at her library the previous day.  Several of the attendees at the CDL Forum on March 24 had worked with Pat on the MELVYL System User Services Group (USG) or on MELVYL related projects.  She was one of the most active members of USG for more than a decade, representing her campus with energy and distinction.  She was remembered at the Forum with affection and respect as one of UC’s “quintessential co-librarians,” working collaboratively with colleagues from the other campuses to help develop a unified tool in which we could all take enormous pride.  Recently, Pat agreed to serve on a task force helping to plan the momentous transition from the MELVYL system to its successor.  Now, sadly, someone else will have to take her place.  But, in a very real sense, Pat Flowers will be utterly irreplaceable.