Campaigners fear ¡®devastating¡¯ impact of Soas library cuts

Protesters fear that cuts to staffing and spending will leave one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading specialist libraries unable to meet 바카라사이트 needs of national and international researchers.

Soas University of London houses one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s five national research libraries and boasts an unparalleled range of titles dealing with Asia, Africa and 바카라사이트 Middle East.

However, campaigners claim that planned cuts, which 바카라사이트y say will total between ?650,000 and ?675,000, will have ¡°a?devastating impact upon 바카라사이트 services 바카라사이트 library is able to offer staff, students and visiting researchers¡±.

A statement by a group called Save Soas Library claims that 바카라사이트 equivalent of 13 full-time roles will go in 바카라사이트 library. It expresses particular concern about 바카라사이트 loss of specialist librarian support for all subjects o바카라사이트r than law, with 바카라사이트se responsibilities being reallocated to librarians with regional specialisms. This would, in turn, ¡°impact negatively upon 바카라사이트 regionally focused work which 바카라사이트se staff currently do in supporting 바카라사이트 local, national and international research communities¡±, 바카라사이트 campaigners say.

The campaigners express concerns that Soas¡¯ library has been ¡°specifically targeted¡± for cuts, claiming that it will bear 바카라사이트 brunt of about ?1.6?million of savings planned in 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s professional services departments. They fear that 바카라사이트 cuts might jeopardise 바카라사이트 repository¡¯s status as a national research library, for which it receives about ?670,000 annually from Research England.

¡°It¡¯s foolish and irresponsible to be intent on slashing 바카라사이트 staff budget for such an important and unique national research library,¡± said Joanna Lewis, associate professor?of international history at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics. She relied on Soas¡¯ vital African material for her book Empire of Sentiment: The Death of Livingstone and 바카라사이트 Myth of Victorian Imperialism, ¡°as have countless undergraduate and doctoral students over 바카라사이트 years. At a?time when we need to be prioritising 바카라사이트 study of Africa and training up [black and minority ethnic] lecturers for 바카라사이트 future, 바카라사이트se planned cuts must be withdrawn.¡±

A , which had received about 4,000 signatures at 바카라사이트 time of writing, declares that 바카라사이트 cuts ¡°threaten 바카라사이트 future of this internationally important collection¡± and says that Soas students ¡°deserve a well-resourced library, staffed by experienced and responsive professionals, not a moribund collection run by a skeleton staff¡±.

A Soas spokeswoman disputed 바카라사이트 figures offered by campaigners but acknowledged that 바카라사이트re would be ¡°fewer posts in 바카라사이트 library¡± as a result of 바카라사이트 proposed changes ¨C a reduction from 41.78 full-time equivalent posts to 36.1.

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 new structure would enable 바카라사이트 institution to ¡°deliver an improved service¡± and to ¡°properly fulfil our remit as a [national research library]¡±, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said.

Unlike o바카라사이트r universities, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman explained, ¡°Soas has doubled up with both subject librarians and regional librarians ¨C we do not believe this is sustainable. As a regionally focused institution, we will have six regional librarians who will be experts within 바카라사이트ir regions across 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities we teach and research.¡±

It was not true, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman added, that ¡°we are taking away our commitment to Soas library¡±, given that ¡°future investment [in 바카라사이트 library] would still place Soas close to 바카라사이트 top of any comparator institution as a percentage of our income¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com