PMarione
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 883
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 Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:12 pm Post subject: Caird Library at Greenwich Museum |
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The Caird Library is regularly the subject of hot topics in the forums of naval or maritime interest. Never to be complimented 
No permission to photocopy or even take digital pics, etc.
This time they simply close it!
From another list:
| Quote: | Contributors of this list may, or may not, have heard of the 'Sammy Ofer' Wing, planned to be built on the south side of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. A £36,000,000 project, this has only been made possible through the extraordinarily generous donation of £20,000,000 by Mr. Sammy Offer: an Israeli shipping magnate. Per the NMM's website publicity, this is scheduled 'to open in 2012, in time for the London Olympics'.
For users of the library and the associated manuscripts this is where the good news ends. Following Mr. Ofer's act the opening hours of the Caird Library have already been curtailed. Initially it stopped opening on Mondays and since then it has been shut for up to two weeks: for preliminary work. While it was rumoured that the library would be shut for some time during the winter of 2008 to 2009, late in October very low key announcements were made. Saliently:-
The Caird Library will shut its doors to the public on 20th December 2008;
No date for re-opening has been given other than tentatively as 'late spring', or 'early summer' 2009;
Assuming that the Caird Library is re-opened, hours are then to be cut even further: to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays every week and one Saturday per month, strictly by prior appointment only;
While shut, the only services to be provided are of the most basic nature. These are in answering general queries; and in photocopying what are inaccurately called 'masters' certificates' and mercantile 'crew lists'. This latter 'service' may prove prohibitively expensive for researchers: especially for the 'crew lists' of twentieth century vessels;
Also, recently announced, those with NMM Caird Library readers' tickets will have access to the Royal Geographic Society Library!
The above is all supposedly because the manuscripts on site need to be shifted: as they are housed in the basement, in the near vicinity of where excavations will be required for the almost entirely subterranean new wing. While it would apparently be entirely sensible to shift these irreplaceable manuscripts in light of this building work, little else of this project that has been made known to the public makes any understandable sense.
Considerable elements of the museum's manuscripts are not even held at the museum anyway. Instead, these are in a small number of offsite repositories: within approximately five miles of Greenwich. Therefore, there is no reason why these records cannot be made available to readers on the usual basis. Additionally, it should be entirely possible for those manuscripts temporarily located off site to be treated identically to all those normally off site until the new wing is completed.
The Caird Library is nowhere near the site of building and should therefore, remain open. However, the NMM management's 'planning' seemingly requires the entire library and manuscripts staffs to oversee (or possibly even physically shift) the manuscripts! As yet not publically commented upon, even so it is rumoured that this is due to a shortfall in funds.
The above then spells questions:-
If the closure of the library really is due to a shortfall in funds for this project, how reliable are the NMM management's financial projections?
If these are not accurate and the shortfall is substantially larger than currently thought, how long could the Caird Library be shut?
Could this shortfall eventually risk the permanent closure of the museum itself?
If this shortfall was known about prior to going ahead, why was not spending on peripherals that have no maritime content whatsoever, such as on 'play schools', not cut to make this up?
If this shortfall was known about prior to going ahead, why was additional funding not secured from other sources?
As for the last question, there are hints in the NMM's own pronouncements. As already mentioned, the new wing is to be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics. In order to (possibly) succeed in this, the project has been brought forward. It is claimed that there was a 'consultation' process, but this cannot have been particularly deep or widespread. Had it been so, it might have been realised that another institution highly important to maritime research, the Guildhall Library, was already largely shut due to building works and re-organisation. This other project should have been known about by the NMM's management: as it was well publicised in advance. This would seem to indicate that the NMM's management made their decisions without proper reference to the wider academic maritime community.
There is, of course, another highly important question relating to a significant percentage of the manuscripts held by the NMM. These are public records that the general public have a right to access to by law. Both the misnamed 'masters' certificates' and 'crew lists' fall under this category, but so do other collections, such as Admiralty and Navy Board classes. Even with the 'photocopying' option for the former documents, no provision whatsoever had been made for public viewing of the latter mentioned. Therefore, the logical question follows:-
Is the management of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich even acting lawfully?
It is also worth listing the varieties of people that will be adversely affected by these planned actions: some seriously. Within the academic realm, there are those taking higher degrees in maritime subjects, not only from local universities, but also from overseas, as well others researching papers and books. On the commercial side, there will be those researching articles and books, as well as the possibility of others working on radio, or television documentaries, or plays. The businesses of a small number of freelance maritime researchers are also liable to be threatened inherently. Additionally, there are all the other readers. The Caird having such a high profile, as the 'largest English language maritime library in the world', not only is it a draw from all parts of the United Kingdom, it is not unusual for there to be visitors literally from the other side of the planet.
Since late October there have been numerous polite protests made to the museum's Director, Dr. Kevin Fewster, by both individuals and interested organisations, such as the Society for Nautical Research and the Dockyard Society. At least some individuals have also made the perfectly reasonable request for the library (with all available manuscripts) to be kept open for two days per week during the initial phase. As far as can be determined all of these have been rebuffed: by public relations statements that do not even address the concerns put. Apparently recently, a stronger and joint protest has been made by the major maritime-historical organisations. This may, or may not, have had a beneficial effect.
Although at an early stage, political pressure is also now being put on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in letters written to the Secretary of State, Andy Burnham, through individuals' Members of Parliament. At least one enquiry to the Head of the National Advisory Services regarding the legal position has been made. This body, as part of The National Archives, Kew, is charged with the overseeing public access to official records placed in institutions other than the Public Record Office. One letter with the aim of reaching Mr. Sammy Ofer has also been sent to the London office of part of his business empire.
Up to now, there has been no effort to utilise the national media by the interested organisations. As far as can be determined, this is because this has been judged not yet politic. Nevertheless, it is now thought important at least to get the news of this out to potentially affected organisations and individuals, both in the United Kingdom and abroad: as this is simply not being done by the NMM. Individuals and societies might also wish to make their own polite contributions to help keep these facilities open to the public. Even if this is not possible before December 20th, it should not spell the end of actions, although it may well prove more difficult to get it open once again, if shut.
Len Barnett
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The original announcement is at http://www.nmm.ac.uk/library/2008/10/temporary_closure_from_20_dece.html
From my personal experience, working there is going back to Victorian times and they don't even provide goose feather pens!
I think that the best solution would be to repatriate all the manuscripts to the TNA so they could be available to researchers.
They can keep the books: one can find them in some serious library elsewhere.
They are not worthy of keeping any valuable document.
The NMM is even not worthy of keeping any valuable artefact: did they find back the hundreds of paintings they can't trace... (stolen?, misplaced?)
Waiting for your comments,
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PMarione
Site Admin
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 883
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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A new episode:
| Quote: | Apparently due to negotiations held between the august societies and the management of the NMM, the museum's position has crumbled slightly. Within the last twenty-four hours an announcement on its website, at http://www.nmm.ac.uk/library/2008/12/update_on_caird_library_provis.html has been posted.
Saliently, for the first six months of 2009 the Caird Library will be open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but only for books, journals, microfilms and other miscellany. The statement on the museum acting in accordance with 'the museum's obligation as a Place of Deposit for Public Records' can be regarded as disingenuous, as these are not, repeat not, being made available for public scrutiny: as required under the law (as far as I understand).
From 1st/2nd June 2009 the original plan is still to be adhered to. This allows for the Caird Library to only be open three days per week and one Saturday per month: but by appointment only. Therefore, there would seem to be an inherent difference in service between these two periods. Non appointment January to June, appointment June onwards!
What is more, I have been told that there are concerns over the as yet unbuilt archive to be a part of the Sammy Ofer wing. Not only do these cover long-term opening hours, but also stowage of manuscripts.
So, all in all, the conflict between readers and the NMM's management could continue for a long time to come...
Len Barnett |
To be continued... |
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