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[RRE]British Library
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Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 11:05:01 +1000 From: Michael Lean
From: jsassoon@cyllene.uwa.edu.au (Joanna Sassoon)
A former student, now on staff at the NewDNB, has forwarded to me a message which reports the proposal of the British Library's Board of Management that a fee of 300 pounds per annum be imposed on researchers using the BL. Clearly, such a fee would effectively put a stop to use of the BL by researchers from abroad, to say nothing of the hardship it would impose on UK students and researchers outside London. It is evident that the proposal arises from the current entrepreneurial assumption that the commodification of intellectual resources will resolve their problems of funding -- an assumption which would not in any case work if applied to the funding problems of the British Library.
A strong protest has been mounted by researchers, who have recently met with the Director, Dr. Brian Lang, and have been conducting regular pickets to demonstrate their concern. Both the Director and the Heritage Secretary (who will make the final decision) have indicated their doubts about such an imposition, but input from the scholarly community is urgently required.
Information about the British Library Strategic Review Consultation can be found at: http://www.bl.uk and the researchers' position can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/8435/Library.html The deadline for responses is August 28; letters should be addressed to the Director and to the Heritage Secretary as follows: Dr. Brian Lang, Director, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB; fax: 0171-412-7251. Chris Smith, MP, Heritage Secretary, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 2PW. ```
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