Fears for thousands of rare books as Cardiff University plans ‘proof of concept’ experiment

Martin Shipton

Staff and students at Cardiff University have launched a petition aimed at stopping changes to the Arts and Social Sciences Library they fear could lead to the loss of thousands of rare books.

The petition, on the website 38 degrees states: “On Friday 17th of May, library staff of the ASSL were informed by University Library Service (ULS) that Cardiff University Estates (CUE) are planning to repurpose the 2nd floor of ASSL from its current form of housing our fantastic collection of books and study spaces to 4 teaching rooms (holding approx. 160 students) at the end of the academic term (mid June 2026)

“What this means–

* Removal of 7k of books including subjects such as Philosophy, Ethics, Religion, Archeology, History, Music, Fine Arts, Language, Literature, and our invaluable collections of Salisbury, Welsh and Celtic literature.

* Removal of vital study space

* Removal of useful resources for current students, future students, and the general public.

“We believe this is a monumental loss of high quality library and study space on the Cardiff University campus which will not be replaced or replicated in any site that ULS currently runs. The ASSL is not an underutilised resource, the library is constantly busy, and student feedback tells us a floor dedicated to silent learning is highly valuable to them.

“In the past 5 years Cardiff University has closed 3 libraries on the main campus and amalgamated their collections into ASSL, and it now looks like not even the busiest and best resourced library on the campus can be kept solely as a library. As with other past libraries that have been repurposed into space which is either not accessible to students 24/7 or not an environment conducive to studying, this is purpose built study spaces that have been lost and not returned.

“ASSL staff have battled for years for funds to refurbish and modernise floors of the building, and after winning that battle in 2024 with new carpets, desks, and lighting installed, Cardiff University are now planning to have this work ripped out.

“Polling of students has consistently told ULS {University Library Service) and Cardiff University students prefer a mix of physical and digital books over digital only. Collections held in ASSL once removed will not return to a site to be accessed 24/7, may just be held in storage to be ordered for pickup, or worst disposed of entirely. All our collections are weeded and updated constantly, meaning our stock is in date and useful to all courses Cardiff University supplies. Nobody has asked lecturers if the removal of course material could be to the detriment of their teaching syllabuses.

“And finally, a removal of a floor from the main central library on campus will potentially bring job losses of hardworking and tireless champions of learning. Librarians, subject librarians, and support staff will not be needed to maintain a whole floor that is to be lost to teaching space. We love our jobs supporting students and the public that come in to learn, it’s what we live to do, and when we are gone (like the books and the study space) we will not be replaced.

“We ask Cardiff University to stop the removal of ASSL’s second floor book collections and study space, and to step in and stop this learning and cultural vandalism.”

‘Proof of concept’

A spokesperson for Cardiff University responded: “For the avoidance of doubt, we will not be removing ‘all books’ and books to ‘be potentially disposed of’ as has been inaccurately suggested.

“The university is currently looking to provide a proof-of-concept learning space on campus to test if this can significantly improve the student learning experience, drawing on some examples being used at the best universities worldwide. Our strategy is to create an immersive learning space with the intention that this environment will provide additional study space when it is not used for teaching.

“For this reason, we want a location where a high volume of students will be able to use and benefit from the space.

“The ASSL is a location currently being explored however it is important to stress that plans have not been finalised. Should this proof of concept proceed within ASSL we would of course work with the library – and other key stakeholders including the Students’ Union – throughout the proof-of-concept process.

“If internal works on ASSL were to progress over the summer for this learning space, it would also provide an opportunity to upgrade some of the student areas within the building, potentially including redecoration of the basement and Refresh stations. Regardless of which location is chosen, the work will likely be undertaken over the summer to minimise disruption to our students.

“We will provide other study spaces for students if they are unable to access any existing spaces temporarily.”

‘Insane’

A Cardiff University source said: “We are talking about literally thousands of wonderful books, music scores, collected editions, and rare reference sources – some continental European and therefore not even available in the UK’s copyright deposit libraries. It’s sheer insane vandalism.

“Why when the university is still in deficit, when construction costs are ballooning, when the building was refurbished less than two years ago, when all the professional services departments that would need to implement mitigations for students are understaffed, when no-one but NO-ONE in the staff or student population asked for this, are they pressing ahead with some ‘proof-of-concept’ experiment? Once again the university is treating us like lab rats.

“If they are not removing or disposing of books, where are they all going to go?

“And if ‘plans have not been finalised’, how on earth can they be implemented start-to-finish in the summer before students return in the autumn?”

The petition can be accessed via this link