The Curators of the Bodleian Libraries are undergoing consultations with the History department over plans to close the History Faculty Library.
The proposal, if successful, would see the entire contents and services of the History Faculty Library moved from its current location on Broad Street to the main Bodleian site in time for the start of the next academic year.The new plan comes as previous moves to relocate the Library to the Radcliffe Observatory site have undergone “temporary suspension.”
The consultation process officially began on Monday when Curators of the University Libraries endorsed the proposal in principle. The motion is now being put to members of the History Faculty with staff being asked to submit their comments by Friday 27th and an “extraordinary meeting” of committee will then take place next week. The results of this process will be reviewed, and the final decision made by Curators in their 8th week meeting.
Cherwell’s source from within the consultation process expressed grievances that “the History Faculty hasn’t even informed students of the proposal, let alone discussed it with us. We’re told that the university values our opinions and believes in transparency, but that’s simply not the case here.”
She added, “This is why we felt we had to go to the press.”
The organisers have admitted that “the timing is stunningly tight” and added that although “the velocity of all this is regrettable, there is something to be said for a short and focussed discussion.”
In an official statement on behalf of the Bodleian libraries, Jonathan Wood told Cherwell, “The proposal reflects the strategic vision of the Bodleian Libraries to provide improved services through the integration and consolidation of a number of its satellite libraries, thereby reducing costs to Divisions and enabling improved services, such as longer hours of operation.”
He added, “the savings achieved by the relocation of the history collections to the Bodleian would free up resources for the purchase of additional books, journals, and databases and for the support of Sunday hours in both the Radcliffe Camera and Old Bodleian Library.”
The official report sent to members of the History Faculty claimed that the change would bring many benefits to both students and staff including “unity of place, more circulation, more hours and more money.” It explained that “moving into the Old Bodleian would mean a 75K per year reduction in space charges, some of which could be ploughed back directly into the HFL acquisitions budget.”
However, not everyone is happy with the idea. One History graduate student commented, “The proposal has serious flaws, not least that there will be no room for staff offices or researchers in the new library, and that disabled access is currently no better at the Radcliffe Camera than at the Old Indian Institute.”
She continued, “Far worse, however, is the way in which the consultation process has been carried out. The role of the Martin School is deeply concerning. They’ve offered to cover the costs if the History Faculty Library moves out before September 2012, which has sped up the process. Why is policy being dictated by the whims of donors rather than the needs of students?”
The Oxford Martin School, which describes itself as “an interdisciplinary research initiative addressing key global future challenges”, has expressed its desire to take over the Oxford Indian Institute and has offered a substantial financial inducement to facilitate the move providing this takes place before September 2012.
Conrad Leyser, Chair of the History Committee for Library Provision, and Isabel Holowaty, the Bodleian’s History Librarian issued a joint statement defending the proposal, saying, “One of the main benefits of the proposed move is that it would mean longer opening hours for the History Faculty Library, including hours at weekends. This is something History students have been wanting for years: now we have a chance of making it happen.”
They added, “The main message we want to send out to students is that they should get in touch with their Library representatives.”
Second year Univ historian, Joe Kelly, argued that students should have been consulted earlier and added, “I’m against the prospective move because I find the size and grandeur of the Rad Cam intimidating.”
The collections of other subjects currently situated at the main Bodleian site will also be affected with, for example, English and Theology reference material being moved from the Lower Camera to the main level of the Upper Camera while the History teaching collection may move downstairs.
St Anne’s finalist Robin McGhee expressed particular opposition to this aspect of the change, commenting, “The potential move of History books from their rightful place at the top of the RadCam is an act of outrageous contempt by the University for History and it should be ashamed of it.”
The spokesperson for the Bodleian libraries declared that they do not anticipate any members of staff being made redundant as a result of this proposal.
