Debates about the future of library provision, centring around the Bodleian, continued as Congregation met on Tuesday 13 November to discuss “The Libraries and their Future”.
Debates about the future of library provision,
centring around the Bodleian, continued as
Congregation met on Tuesday 13 November to
discuss “The Libraries and their Future”.
Speeches each on a particular issue relating
to library provision were made by fellows from
numerous different colleges and disciplines.
A flysheet distributed with the Gazette on 8
November called for a “different approach”,
and stressed the need for readers to be “extensively consulted on significant plans for the libraries and involved in deciding what should
happen.”
During the Congregation meeting, Susan
Cooper, Fellow of St. Catherine’s, argued that,
“The issues with the libraries are symptomatic
of more widespread problems we have with
communication and consultation in Oxford.”
Conrad Leyser, fellow of Worcester, spoke on
misunderstandings during the relocation of
the History Faculty Library, commenting, “Loss,
closure, rapacity: these were all words used in
connection to the HFL last year, and they coloured the wider discussion in an unhelpful
way.”
He noted that many of the problems in the
Bodleian are due to “the enviable problem, and
the dire responsibility, of a cup running over”,
but added, “Overall everybody thought it was
a good discussion. Everyone came away encouraged”.
Diarmaid MacCulloch, fellow of St. Cross,
spoke in support of the Bodley’s Librarian, considering library problems faced by Oxford and
Cambridge over the last century. He argued
that the Bodleian Libraries have always been
hampered by “buildings which were certainly
beautiful, but were and are decidedly not user-friendly”, but that over the last decade, the
Bodleian libraries have become “not merely
one of the great world collections, but one of
the most accessible and well-run.” He ended his
speech by saying, “Our current Bodley’s Librarian […] deserves our support, not our carping”.
Bryan Ward-Perkins, fellow of Trinity, appealed to academics, “above all to treat our librarians as colleagues, on the same side as us,
and deserving of our respect.” He also emphasised the problems caused by the need to “shave
nearly ten per cent off the annual budget”.
Hugh Doherty, fellow of Jesus, praised the
meeting as “very instructive”, commenting,
“There were a number of excellent speeches,
notably by David Norbrook, Philomen Probert,
Georgy Kantor, Caroline Warman, and Richard
Ovenden.”
He added, “What was striking was how many
actual users of the Bodleian… were speaking
against some of the recent changes, and how
many representatives of the university’s governing class, three heads of house, no less,came
out in defence of them”.
Bodley’s Librarian, Sarah Thomas, who has
been in the post for five years, commented,
“Congregation’s discussion on the ‘libraries
and their future’ was both positive and constructive. We were heartened to see so many
colleagues from across the University speak in
support of the Bodleian Libraries. As we go forward, we will work to enhance our communication, engage in robust consultation and ensure
wide communication of our future plans.”Debates about the future of library provision, centring around the Bodleian, continued as Congregation met on Tuesday 13 November to discuss “The Libraries and their Future”.
Speeches each on a particular issue relating to library provision were made by fellows from numerous different colleges and disciplines.
A flysheet distributed with the Gazette on 8 November called for a “different approach”, and stressed the need for readers to be “extensively consulted on significant plans for the libraries and involved in deciding what should happen.”
During the Congregation meeting, Susan Cooper, Fellow of St. Catherine’s, argued that, “The issues with the libraries are symptomatic of more widespread problems we have with communication and consultation in Oxford.”
Conrad Leyser, fellow of Worcester, spoke on misunderstandings during the relocation of the History Faculty Library, commenting, “Loss, closure, rapacity: these were all words used in connection to the HFL last year, and they coloured the wider discussion in an unhelpful way.”
He noted that many of the problems in the Bodleian are due to “the enviable problem, and the dire responsibility, of a cup running over”, but added, “Overall everybody thought it was a good discussion. Everyone came away encouraged”.
Diarmaid MacCulloch, fellow of St. Cross, spoke in support of the Bodley’s Librarian, considering library problems faced by Oxford and Cambridge over the last century. He argued that the Bodleian Libraries have always been hampered by “buildings which were certainly beautiful, but were and are decidedly not user-friendly”, but that over the last decade, the Bodleian libraries have become “not merely one of the great world collections, but one of the most accessible and well-run.” He ended his speech by saying, “Our current Bodley’s Librarian […] deserves our support, not our carping”.
Bryan Ward-Perkins, fellow of Trinity, appealed to academics, “above all to treat our librarians as colleagues, on the same side as us, and deserving of our respect.” He also emphasised the problems caused by the need to “shave nearly ten per cent off the annual budget”.
Hugh Doherty, fellow of Jesus, praised the meeting as “very instructive”, commenting, “There were a number of excellent speeches, notably by David Norbrook, Philomen Probert, Georgy Kantor, Caroline Warman, and Richard Ovenden.”
He added, “What was striking was how many actual users of the Bodleian… were speaking against some of the recent changes, and how many representatives of the university’s governing class, three heads of house, no less,came out in defence of them”.
Bodley’s Librarian, Sarah Thomas, who has been in the post for five years, commented, “Congregation’s discussion on the ‘libraries and their future’ was both positive and constructive. We were heartened to see so many colleagues from across the University speak in support of the Bodleian Libraries. As we go forward, we will work to enhance our communication, engage in robust consultation and ensure wide communication of our future plans.”
