Lawrence Tagg, who died on September 2, aged 63, was an intellectual property expert, business information specialist, lecturer and consultant.

His work for Newcastle City Libraries and Innovation North helped hundreds of small businesses to explore marketing opportunities and exploit their intellectual property in ways they might otherwise have missed. As a lecturer for Newcastle College, he introduced numerous students to the world of library and information skills.

A true ?character?, Lawrence was passionate about his interests, which were many. His season ticket for Sunderland AFC didn?t confine him to the home games; far from it, he would combine trips to away matches with theatre and opera visits. He indulged his passion for cricket in typical style, by taking his annual three-week holiday in Bermuda at the end of July to encompass the Island?s Cup Match.

Only illness prevented him from making this year his fortieth visit to Bermuda for Cup Match. He had not, however, allowed illness to prevent him from taking a group of his library students on a trip to visit the Stasi museum in Berlin only a few weeks earlier.

It was Lawrence?s advocacy for business information, in all its forms, that brought him his widest audience. He had guest speaking slots at the four North East universities, and made regular contributions to publications such as Business Information Review and European Business Intelligence Briefing. A particular cause he championed was the use of patent information as a source of competitor intelligence and competitive advantage; his overseas audiences heard this message at least as readily as did those in the UK.

After a short spell in London as a trainee journalist, Lawrence returned home to join Newcastle City Libraries in 1959, and stayed with them until 1992. Between 1975 and 1992 he was their Manager of Business and Technical Information Services and a key player in their Patents Advice Centre.

In parallel with his library work, starting in 1969, Lawrence was a part-time lecturer on librarianship at Newcastle College.

From 1992, Lawrence balanced his lecturing with his work for Innovation North as an adviser to small businesses on intellectual property. He ran the service until shortly before his death. Library and information skills mingled with intellectual property expertise at the heart of Lawrence?s professional concerns. As well as lecturing, he was an examiner for City and Guilds, and worked on the development of vocational qualifications. Lawrence was involved in a range of professional committees, including Chairmanship of both the Network North East Library Co-operative (1976-1992) and the Library Association?s Standing Committee on Business Information (1994-1998, having been a member since 1977). Other memberships included: the British Library Business Information Service Consultative Group (1984-1986), North East Innovation Forum (1985 - 1988), and the Advisory Committee for the Science Reference and Information Service of the British Library (1991-1997).

Lawrence?s students and business clients will miss his expertise; his many friends and acquaintances around the world will miss his idiosyncratic approach to life.