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Only UCL can now save Senate House Library

Only UCL can now save Senate House Library

1,108 signatures 392 to reach 1,500
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Started by Anonymous 17 years, 5 months ago
UCL has made a proposal to create a new university library for London by combining the collections of UCL, Senate House Library, and the libraries of the institutes of the School of Advanced Study (SAS). The combined library would have over 4 million volumes, and extensive electronic resources across the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences. Other University of London colleges will be invited to contribute to this arrangement on the same basis as they currently contribute to the University of London Research Library Services. This proposal is, in our opinion, the only credible alternative to finding - one day soon - Senate House Library locked, and both its and the SAS institutes' immense intellectual wealth remaindered in second hand bookshops on Charing Cross Road; a risk run by continuing to argue for a collective ownership solution. We, the undersigned staff and students throughout the University of London, endorse UCL's proposed plan for taking these libraries and institutes into trust, and encourage other University of London institutions to support this plan, which offers the following minimum guarantees: 1) Parity of access to the loan and reference holdings of all affected collections - including equal borrowing rights - for all members of contributing institutions. 2) UCL's ongoing commitment to solicit representations from all contributing institutions to acquisitions and collection development policy; its commitment to specialist librarians and to provision for both teaching and research. 3) Open access shelving to be maintained at current levels. 4) UCL's ongoing commitment to institutional and physical integrity for all affected SAS Institutes, including their libraries, recognizing their irreplaceable shared value as a collective space for seminars, discussion, and simply meeting people.

Updates

Reached 1,000 supporters

March 27, 2009

March 23, 2009

We just hit 100 signatures and the suits at the University of London need to understand that this is just the beginning. They are gambling with our intellectual heritage while we wait for them to wake up and hand the keys to UCL before they wreck everything.

Reached 100 supporters

March 23, 2009

6 Comments

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Elena Rogers
17 years ago Featured

UCL is the only one equipped to handle this properly. Do not let these books end up being sold off on Charing Cross Road.

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James Ramos
17 years ago Featured

This place is essential for my research. The current situation is a mess and we need a real plan to keep the doors open.

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Chloe Townsend
17 years ago Featured

So many memories in that reading room. It feels like home for so many of us. Really hope this goes through.

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Sarah Reddy
17 years ago Featured

Senate House is a national treasure. We can't let it just disappear into nothing. Please get this sorted out before it's too late.

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Mark Fox
17 years ago Featured

Ridiculous that it even got to this point. Just save the library already.

D
David Mathis
17 years ago Featured

Finally some sense. Keep the collections together under UCL so we can actually keep using them.

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