Ben’s background in information sciences started when information was mostly in books, and the organization of that information was on cards, and nothing compared to what it has become and is becoming. One of his greatest impacts was in changing the way the creation, improvement and graduation of the citation indexes was done. And this became a focus of his life’s work thereafter. Before he died, he wanted to create and institution that would promote the growing use of organizational power, and foster its development.
Ben envisioned FIRST being a significant proponent of the field, the various practitioners of it, and an organization that addressed the areas within information sciences, and practitioners who might not otherwise get funding, that were being overlooked, to strengthen the field at every level.