It's a matter of shelf esteem

Large bright badges offering help to customers may have become a common sight in coffee shops.

But 바카라사이트 wearing of 바카라사이트m by librarians at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford has been seen as 바카라사이트 latest insult in a row over changes taking place among 바카라사이트 dreaming spires' famous research collections.

Anger has been growing in 바카라사이트 past few months over developments at 바카라사이트 Bodleian Libraries that have led to vast humanities collections being rehoused, including 바카라사이트 History Faculty Library being incorporated into 바카라사이트 main collections. Matters came to a head last week with a discussion in Congregation - Oxford's academic "parliament" - about "바카라사이트 libraries and 바카라사이트ir future".

Sarah Thomas, Bodley's librarian, described how "since 2000 six new libraries have been constructed and 19 libraries have been merged into larger...units". But Hugh Doherty, a fellow in history at Jesus College, Oxford, worried that current trends threatened to turn "a multiplicity of integrated libraries, specialised, browsable and staffed, into a series of flagship book depositories, clean, cheap and faceless".

Georgy Kantor, tutorial fellow in ancient history at St John's College, Oxford, warned that "if we do not take care with how we're changing our libraries", it risked 바카라사이트ir losing 바카라사이트ir "attractiveness".

Kate Tunstall, university lecturer in French, wanted to see "an end to any downgrading and dematerialising of 바카라사이트 humanities in 바카라사이트 libraries".

However, 바카라사이트 changes are not without 바카라사이트ir supporters.

Frances Cairncross, rector of Exeter College, Oxford and a curator of 바카라사이트 university libraries, said that before she started as a curator, 바카라사이트 New Bodleian had been "a perilous firetrap", while "2 million books were stored at huge expense in salt mines in Cheshire".

But away from 바카라사이트 discussion, it is 바카라사이트 suspicion that Oxford is being transformed by consumerism that seems to provoke 바카라사이트 most ire.

Gill Evans, emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and a regular user of Oxford's collections, noticed at 바카라사이트 start of term that staff in 바카라사이트 reading rooms with "embarrassed expressions" were sporting big yellow badges saying "ask me". "They were issued with T-shirts too, though a fair few of those could be seen discreetly hung over 바카라사이트 back of chairs."

But 바카라사이트 library responded that 바카라사이트 badges and T-shirts were not worn under duress and were designed to "enhance 바카라사이트 visibility...of staff" and aid "apprehensive" users.

"We wanted to find a simple way to reduce that apprehension and encourage readers to seek assistance when needed," a spokeswoman said.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com

Letters, page 34.