Bis bald, Graham – a tribute to a rolling stone

With this post, we pay tribute to Graham and say farewell as he moves to another country and leaves Jisc. We reflect on the incredible impact he has had on the OPERAS community, not only as a colleague but also as a friend. Graham’s contributions have been invaluable, and his legacy will remain with us as we continue the work he so passionately supported.

OPERAS is a strong community for open scholarly communication in the Social Sciences and Humanities. But what makes a community so strong and special? For sure the unique people behind it. One of these people is Graham.

If we were to start a fairy tale, we might say:

Once upon a time, there lived a stone. Not just any stone—this stone was special. It wasn’t flashy or extravagant like the diamonds or gold or the green ones – even if he could read every one and knew all the details of them :-).

When Jisc joined OPERAS as a core member in May 2019, Graham became part of the community. Reflecting on that milestone, he shared this in 2019:

“I am very pleased to be joining the OPERAS Core Group on behalf of Jisc. As a trusted neutral organisation in the UK, many of the UK members of OPERAS are based at Jisc’s member institutions. In addition, the work of OPERAS fits in well with our current activity supporting a transition to Open Access monographs.”

He had no idea what to expect on his journey. And the journey had a lot to offer!

The journey

First of all, he was there when the core members of the OPERAS Research Infrastructure jointly founded an international association at a meeting in Brussels on 20 November 2019.

During the Founding meeting in 2019 – You can truly see the happiness on his face!

He survived Brexit within a European research infrastructure shortly afterwards (but will we survive his departure?):

“As Graham might like to put it, with his irrepressible sense of humor, I would say this: the withdrawal of UK from the European Union was a heavy blow, but Graham’s departure from OPERAS takes on the proportions of a Shakespearean drama. Dear Graham, your fine sense of humor, insightful and pertinent observations, sense of belonging to the group and genuine commitment to this common good cause will make your absence particularly felt. May luck and joy always be with you, dear friend.” (Delfim)

And he became known for his backgrounds in Zoom calls during the pandemic:

“In the times of the pandemic I always fancied video calls with Graham: he was in a room with the most fascinating wallpaper. There were times when Graham‘s beard made him the last survivor of the English Civil War. Sadly these days are gone.” (Michael)

One of the 5,134 Zoom calls that Graham probably attended during his work for OPERAS

The strategic work

He was not just part of OPERAS or merely the “stone” in the community; he was a rock and strategically as important as the other OPERAS pillars!

“Graham is one of the OPERAS pillars. We will miss him but he will always belong to the OPERAS family -for his competences but above all his great friendship.” (Suzanne)

With his work in advocating for the UK’s national node, bringing several new members on board, engaged in a number of projects also as a work package leader, and the leader of the Open Access Business Models Special Interest Group, his efforts became much more than just work:

“You made Zoom meetings much more fun and my life much easier coordinating the SIGs.” (Karla)

Qualities for the OPERAS community

But beyond his exceptional work, Graham brought to the community several qualities that are vital for any group and made OPERAS truly special:

• Good Spirit

“When I think of Graham I immediately picture the antique clock that ticks reliably behind him during Zoom calls. He’s known for his dry wit, delivered with a perfectly straight face and a twinkle in his eye. And he’s incredibly generous as a good spirit behind many OPERAS endeavours, whether he’s acting as a team member, SIG leader, or eagle-eyed draft commenter.” (Maciej)

• Absolute Commitment (How was he able to attend all the meetings and contribute so deeply? Will he ever tell us his secret?)

“Graham truly embodies the spirit of OPERAS. He consistently champions collaborative, community-driven work that benefits everyone, demonstrating a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and an impressive ability to navigate complexity with pragmatism. And let’s not forget his legendary sense of humor, which is an essential part of his charm!

The OPERAS community owes Graham a great debt of gratitude. Personally, I am grateful not only for his contributions to OPERAS but also for the person he is.

I sincerely hope this is just a temporary “au revoir” and that we’ll have the opportunity to collaborate again soon.  Perhaps we can even continue the long-standing Franco-British tradition of good-natured teasing – an expression of our mutual respect and friendship” (Pierre)

• Exceptional Collaboration

“OPERAS-PLUS WP2 and WP3 worked so closely that seeing Graham leaving is like seeing your sibling sailing off for an unknown and underdeveloped country. I will miss our little banters, but we can still hope Graham will come back, one way or another, such as a volunteer otherwise!” (Yannick)

• Constructive and Different Perspectives

“Graham dear! My favourite English-speaking voice in the entire world! You know I would have listened to you for ages!!!!!!!! The most charming accent! Besides me being silly, thank you for your unbelievable contribution to OPERAS, always to the point, always constructive, always bringing different perspectives! OPERAS and the entire community owes you a lot. And thank you also for making our meetings never boring, with your humour and jokes. Keep smiling and good luck for your new life JISC-free!!!” (Elena)

And last but not least, as mentioned in almost every tribute to him:

• His Exceptional Sense of Humour

“Dear Graham, my warehouse keeper, an ardent Manchester United supporter, has still not recovered from the shock I gave him when I gave him your news that the original inhabitants of Manchester were cheering for Manchester City. He was convinced that it was the other way round. Just one of the amusing episodes I will remember when I hear your name. And if you ever find your way back to Ljubljana, just let me know, I’m sure I’ll find time for a beer.” (Ales)

The last in-person event – the PALOMERA final conference

There could easily be more to say (if you ever recover from the last quote and shock)…

Graham, as you roll on, we wish you the very best. May your path be as rewarding and fulfilling as the countless ways you’ve enriched our work and daily lives. OPERAS will not be the same without you, but your legacy will linger.

Truly, thank you, Graham. Keep smiling, keep joking, and keep rolling!

Your OPERAS community.