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Vagg, Paul
I support the British Library
The British Library is yet another institution and characteristic of our rich heritage and culture that makes us stand out in the world.
Its commitment to archive and make available the best in learning and culture from our own and other sources is beyond value.
As tax payers we rightly supported the upgrade of the British Library infrastructure only in the last decade. This had to be on the understanding that this rich resource would continue to be made available to all and for the benefit of all.
We are a rich country which can afford these privileges both for us and the world at large.
For the sake of penny pinching now we destroy open access to one of the most glorious collections in the world.
Some might argue that the Internet and other digital media make such institutions meaningless - this could not be further from the truth - the British Library is adapting well to the mediums whilst preserving the essence and immense unique value of the old.
I have copied this to my M.P who I hope will also add his weight to your campaign.
Paul Vagg
Vahidi, Fridoun
Hello
I strongly believe British Library should be finance and supported by Government and should be free and accessible to public. Libraries are part of society's education. We need to provide good educational services to all member of society free of charge.
Fridoun Vahidi
Teaching and Music Acquisitions Assistant
Middlesex University Library
van den Berg, Sara
My colleagues and I have long used the British Library, and recognize its priceless role in making scholarly research possible in many different fields. To require payment for access goes against the international practice of major research libraries everywhere. In fields that are not profit-driven, such as the Humanities, scholars might have serious problems paying for access. Although my own university sometimes provides funding for faculty members to travel to research libraries, but there is no funding for access to materials.
Moreover, many scholars (graduate students, independent scholars, retired faculty members) who are maintaining an active research agenda would find it difficult to absorb this additional cost. It is not clear, moreover, how often this expense would have to be incurred, and for what level of use. At times, a scholar will need only one crucial item for a research project; at other times, extensive use of the collection is required. It is not clear that an equitable policy would be developed, and it is certainly the case that projects which require extensive use of the collection might be too costly for scholars to pursue- thereby endangering the heritage of the United Kingdom and the world.
Sara van den Berg
Chair, Department of English
Saint Louis University
St. Louis, Missouri
USA
Vandiver, Elizabeth
Dear Ms. Brindley,
I am writing to add my testimony about the importance of the British Library to the messages you have already received from other scholars around the world. You of course have my permission to copy this message or to use it in any other way that may be helpful to you.
I am an assistant professor of classics at a small college in Washington State. In the past two years I have spent a total of almost three months in London purely for the purpose of doing research at the British Library. I am writing a book on the influence of classical Greek and Latin literature on British poets of the First World War, and there is quite literally no other library in the world where I could find the resources that have been available to me at the British Library. During my three months there, I was able to read works by nearly 400 poets, many of whom are now generally forgotten but whose books are invaluable for my research project. In many cases, the British Library is the only institution in the world to own a copy of these books, many of which were privately printed. Certainly it is the only institution where I could find copies of so many books, pamphlets, regimental journals, manuscripts, and poets' personal correspondence all housed under one roof. Not even the Imperial War Museum nor the Birmingham Public Library's spectacular War Poetry collection are as important for my work as the British Library. Without the British Library's collections, I could not write my own book.
Other messages have commented that many international scholars come to London solely because they need to work in the British Library. I would like to reiterate that point, and to stress again that such scholars' expenditures on room and board make a significant contribution to the economy of London. The Olympics, splendid though they will undoubtedly be, will contribute to London's hospitality industries only for a few weeks in one year; scholars who come to London to use the British Library will contribute revenue to London steadily for decades to come, if only the government will have the wisdom to continue to fund this magnificent cultural treasure.
Important as the economic issues are, however, I would like to stress even more fervently that the British Library is what I have just called it -- a magnificent and irreplaceable cultural treasure not just for Britain but for the entire world. The proposal to pulp part of the collection affected me very much as do reports of looting of archaeological sites -- when these treasures are once destroyed, they can never be replaced, and not only the British citizens of today but future generations throughout the world will have lost a unique and irretrievable part of their cultural heritage. That loss can never be put right. I can only hope that the government will see the folly and shortsightedness of its proposals and that this unparalleled and wonderful collection will be kept intact for all of us.
Yours very truly,
Elizabeth Vandiver
Assistant Professor
Classics Department
Whitman College
Walla Walla
USA
Varley, Ann
Dear Ms Brindley
I am a regular user of the British Library. As I have recently been editing a book on gender and law in contemporary Mexico (to be published by Rutgers University Press this summer and in Mexico in the next year or so), I have found it a source of continuing wonder and satisfaction that I am able to consult, here in the UK, nineteenth century Mexican legislation, early twentieth century publications from the Mexican national archive, the original publication of the 1928 Civil Code, the biography and other writings of revolutionary President Venustiano Carranza's Minister of Education, and newspapers from the revolutionary period. All available either within 70 minutes or, if the document is kept in Yorkshire, 48 hours at most. I've also been deeply impressed by the dedication, eye for detail and willingness to go the extra mile of the librarians answering reference queries. How often would I find something comparable anywhere else?
These and other aspects of the British Library services and infrastructure produce a somewhat surprised national pride each time I use them. I would be extraordinarily sad to see them undermined by budget cuts. The only time I've been disappointed in my use of the Library's facilities is when I was unable to obtain two nineteenth-century civil and penal codes because they had been destroyed by enemy action in the Second World War (and fortunately there was an 1891 version available instead). It may be a cliché, but it would be a pity if government funding cuts were to continue the work of the Luftwaffe.
If Gordon Brown does not want more British students and academics to find the US more attractive than the UK, he would do well to support the Library as fully as your staff deserve.
I would be very glad for you to use this email in your campaign to defend the Library against the threat it is facing.
Yours sincerely
Dr Ann Varley
UCL (University College London)
Vernitski, Anat
I am writing this short letter to express my apprehension regarding the current proposal that the British Library may need to charge readers for using its collections. The British Library is the national library of the people of Britain, and as such should be as inclusive as possible. It is vital that money should not be an issue when using the Library; in particular, many students and independent researchers are making good use of the Library, and these are people for whom a charge may cause difficulties.
I have used the British Library when working on my PhD, and have benefited from it greatly. As an independent scholar in the last few years, my research could not have taken place, and could certainly not have reached publication (which it does), without the resources available at the British Library. Independent scholars do not have the base of an academic library to support their work, which is why the British Library is a vital resource. The work of independent scholars is important, we produce research which is published in scholarly journals and in its turn benefits the academic community at large. We do this free of charge, thus enhancing the economy.
I would be a great shame if the work of research students and independent scholars is hindered because the British Library is not to receive the support it requires as a national library and as one of the major libraries in the world.
Kind regards
Dr Anat Vernitski
Vincent, Diane
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to support the British Library in the upcoming spending review. The British Library is a major scholarly resource, not just for Britain, but for the world as well. It is a beautiful space to work in and an incredible archive of materials, both modern and ancient. Such libraries are rare, and keeping access to the library as open as possible ensures that locals and internationals alike will use and enjoy this amazing resource.
Yours Sincerely,
Diane Vincent
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
NB: The views and opinions expressed on this page are those of the individuals named and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the British Library.
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If you want to support us please let us know why the British Library is important to you. Email supporters_forum@bl.uk with your name, contact number and message, giving us permission to use your letter to help us make our case.
Address any correspondence by mail to:
Lynne Brindley
Chief Executive
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB