"Dear SHARP-ists,

Some further information about Cardiff City Council's plan to sell off a
substantial part of the city library's special collections.

Initial BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7593883.stm

Further reports (from the Welsh media):

Local political support
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/05/minister-hits-out-
at-rare-books-sell-off-91466-21678538/
or http://tinyurl.com/62re3t

Academic support
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/09/academics-outraged
-by-council-s-book-sale-91466-21708520/
or http://tinyurl.com/5vbnhq

Negotiations with Cardiff University to hold collection were kept secret
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2008/09/15/row-over-secrecy
-of-planned-rare-book-sell-off-91466-21817485/
or http://tinyurl.com/6punbz

How some of the money from the sale will be spent
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/10/libraries-go-self-
service-91466-21718471/
or http://tinyurl.com/5thgjb

A campaign group has been established (Sion Tudur, Peter Keelan, Andrew
Prescott, Helen Nicholson, David Skilton, Wyn James, Judi Loach, and Helen
Phillips) and a website is in preparation. In the meantime, Andrew
Prescott's blog provides fuller details of the campaign:

http://lampeterlibrary.blogspot.com/2008/09/cardiff-book-sale.html

Helen Phillips would be grateful if copies of any letters or e-mails sent to
the Council be forwarded to herself (PhillipsHE@cardiff.ac.uk) or Peter
Keelan (Keelanp@cardiff.ac.uk).

The Council cites the cost of maintaining the collections as its main reason
for sale but I understand from Helen that Cardiff University Library is
willing to house the collection. (See also the story of 15 September, cited
above.) The Council is also making making much of the collection's
apparently narrow 'readership': its own report claims that the books are
'unsuitable for use by anyone other than academics and specialists' and
'would only ever be used by a very narrow group of interested parties'.

Ian Gadd
--------------------------------
Dr Ian Gadd
School of English & Creative Studies
Bath Spa University
Newton Park
Bath BA2 9BN
i.gadd@bathspa.ac.uk / 01225-875455
(alternative e-mail: gadd_academic@yahoo.co.uk) "

From SHARP-L