Remembering Robin Nelson Downes
Robin Nelson Downes (1932 – 2025)
Robin Nelson Downes, former Director of University of Houston Libraries, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, in Houston, Texas. He was 93 years old.
Downes was named Director in 1980, a position he held until his retirement in 1997. Under Downes’ leadership, computer technology became the foundation for library operations, elevating the Libraries as a driver of digital initiatives at the University. He was central to implementing digitization of the card catalog and other academic content. Through innovative applications, Downes expanded the scope and accessibility of library resources and set a strong foundation for the growth of forward-thinking, 21st-century services.
Downes advocated for the electronic publishing of scholarship, and supported the development of an open access journal about end-user computer systems in libraries titled “The Public-Access Computer Systems Review,” established in 1989 at a time when university libraries were among the first publishers of online scholarly journals. He also established a method for applying systems technology to the ways in which the library provided reference services.
Over the course of his leadership, Downes cultivated a professional environment that encouraged creative problem-solving with a focus on stewardship of library resources for students, faculty, and the scholarly community.
“Robin Downes will be remembered as a steady, visionary leader whose influence helped shape the University of Houston Libraries into the essential academic partner it is today,” said Christina H. Gola, Dean of UH Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair. “During his tenure as Director, he not only positioned the Libraries as a critical unit on our campus, but also elevated our engagement at the national level during a period of profound transformation in librarianship. Colleagues who knew him best describe him as interesting, innovative, and exceptionally smart, qualities that guided his work as he embraced automation. His legacy continues to resonate today.”
Downes served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956, and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Florida State University in 1954 and a master’s degree in Library Sciences in 1957. A former librarian at University of Georgia, Downes came to UH from the University of Michigan Library where he was an Associate Director in 1972.