The founder of Colour Library Books (CLB) Barry Austin has died at the age of 78. He passed away in September, just a few days shy of his 79th birthday.

Austin founded the company in the early 1980s in Guildford, and grew Colour Library – which produced high-quality, value, glossy coffee table books sold directly to the consumer via agents into people’s workplaces – to produce and sell these books into the trade all over the world.

Later, the two divisions of the business continued to grow both organically and by acquiring Zigzag (a children’s publisher), Waverley (a stationery publisher) and IMC Video Ltd, all producing products to feed the CLB agents to sell direct to the public and to the traditional trade.

Many of the people who worked at CLB stayed with Austin for many years and within the office he was affectionately known as "the governor". 

A tribute from Caroline Ridding at Boldwood Books read: "It didn’t matter what job you had within the office, receptionist or publishing director, Barry always had time to make conversation or if you had a problem his door was always open. A true gentleman, who will be missed."