On October 5, 2024, Prof Tefko Saračević, PhD, a professor emeritus at Rutgers University in the USA and a distinguished scientist, passed away. The University of Zadar awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor Saračević in 2011 for his exceptional contribution to the development of the Department of Librarianship, today's Department of Information Sciences.
He was born in Zagreb on October 24, 1930. After studying electrical engineering in Zagreb, he continued his higher education in the USA, where he received his master's degree and PhD in information science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His doctoral dissertation, which dealt with the concept of relevance in information science, became a foundation for further research in the field.
From 1962 to 1985, he worked at Case Western Reserve University, where he advanced to the rank of full professor. In 1985, he joined the Rutgers School of Communication and Information, Library and Information Science Department at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he became Professor I and later Professor Emeritus II. From 2003 to 2006, he served as vice dean at Rutgers. His time at Rutgers was also marked by his significant contributions to the development of doctoral and master's programmes and his continuous mentorship of young scientists.
His research focused on evaluating information retrieval, relevance in information science, as well as human-computer interaction in information search processes, user research, and the use of information. He paid special attention to developing both theoretical and practical approaches to relevance in information systems and digital libraries, which became critical to the advancement of modern information technologies.
Prof Saračević was president of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) from 1990 to 1991 and editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Information Processing & Management for 23 years (from 1985 to 2008). His work with international organizations, including UNESCO and the Rockefeller Foundation, contributed to developing high-quality affordable medical information systems in developing countries. His impact on the international stage was immense, and he shared his knowledge as an invited lecturer at numerous international conferences.
In addition to being one of the world's foremost professors and researchers in information science, since 2000, Prof Saračević and Prof Tatjana Aparac-Jelušić were the initiators and co-directors of the international conference Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA). The conference, which has been held regularly for 23 years in Croatia, brings together world-leading experts in digital libraries and information science. It is jointly organized by the University of Zadar, the University of J.J. Strossmayer in Osijek, and Rutgers University in the USA.
For his outstanding contributions to information science, Prof Saračević received numerous awards and honours, including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Society for Information Science in 1995 and the prestigious Gerald Salton Award for Scientific Excellence. His scientific works remain highly cited, and he is recognized as one of the most influential authors in the field of information science.
May he rest in eternal peace and be remembered with honour.