University senate invites Front to review allocation criteria for 'cabinet collection'

“This Collection was not intended as censorship; nor did it function as such since any member of the academic body or any other member of the Library who so requested could borrow these books. No such request has ever been refused.

“This method of access protected these books from the spoliation which unfortunately happens to other books when they are on the open shelves and can be damaged even before they are borrowed,” the committee said in a statement.

The senate committee said the collection includes rare books such as first editions and imprints.

“This is clearly the time to review criteria for such categorisation of the miscellaneous group, even to discuss whether such criteria should be applied at all. For this purpose the Senate Library Committee has set up a small sub-committee to review criteria for allocating books to the Cabinet Collection. It will invite academic body signatories of the Front Against Censorship’s petition to sit on this Committee and contribute to the discussion, which it is hoped will be as open and transparent as possible”

The Senate Library Committee reiterated library director Kevin Ellul’s appeal for the retention of some form of protection for those volumes that history has shown to be more vulnerable to spoliation. “This is to guarantee that they remain available to all Library members, rather than being lost. It is hoped that the Front and its supporters will accept that it is legitimate to protect books from some types of users, and that this does not constitute an act of censorship.”