Comments on: What’s happening to the Mitchell Library?

By: phansw blog editor

phansw blog editor — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 05:11:22 +0000

The State Librarian, Dr Byrne, announced on 16 April that after listening to the opposition he had reversed the plans to remove researchers and books from the 1910 Mitchell Reading Room.

By: Maree

Maree — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 07:18:31 +0000

What’s happening? Answer is its happening across the NSW public service. It’s the peril of small government and public service cuts. See http://psa.asn.au/anne-gardiner-sydney-morning-herald-us-horror-show-highlights-peril-of-small-government/

Its a case of trying to do ones best, killing two birds with one stone – meeting future challenges in the digital age and at the same time making employment-related savings. See http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/la/qala.nsf/c1e52c2011c46013ca2574a20081ab75/36239397e50ad278ca257c15000eb6db?OpenDocument

By: Francesca Beddie

Francesca Beddie — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 00:34:52 +0000

The report by Emeritus Professor Lesley Johnson AM into the Mitchell Division of the State Library can be found on the State Library website
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about/news/mitchell_review/index.html

By: Alex Byrne

Alex Byrne — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:26:19 +0000

Just to set the record straight, these changes are in response to long held frustrations expressed by many readers that all of the State Library’s books could not be requested from the one place. They now can in the State Reference Library Reading Room and, for researchers on manuscripts,rare books and other special collections, all of our materials related to their research will be available in the re-established Scholars Room later this year. Far from a ‘back room’, it is the original heritage reading room opened in 1910 – we just have to restore it to its original condition over the next few months. With specialist staff and the resources to hand, this will be a boon to researchers.

The Mitchell Library Collection and State Reference Library Collections are not being combined as a correspondent suggests but both can be retrieved for use in the same place. No books have been withdrawn and all of the Mitchell Library Collection is on site in Macquarie Street.

And the grand Mitchell Library Reading Room remains a reading room as can be seen by visiting it, not a space for hire, nor handed over to students with laptops – but of course many students and researchers do use laptops. Although we cannot continue to deliver books to that room because of the staffing reductions that a correspondent has noted, the room will continue to inspire future generations, some of whom will go on to research careers.

By: John Blay

John Blay — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 00:07:31 +0000

The terrible thing about this closure on Mitchell facilities is that for projects such as mine in the heritage and shared history of Aboriginal / settler relations, the prospect of reconciliation moves further and further away…

By: Laila Ellmoos

Laila Ellmoos — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 22:48:21 +0000

Similar to everyone else responding to this post, I’m very disappointed that the Mitchell Library Reading Room will no longer be available as quiet reflective study space manned by helpful and knowledgeable specialist library staff; and that books and other research materials will no longer be accessible on the shelves and that the room will be manned by a lone security officer. It’s especially disappointing that this decision was announced as a foregone conclusion, without any consultation with key users (at the briefing we were informed that consultation was not required because library users were being scrutinised and our user habits recorded). It seems that quiet reflection and scholarly endeavour in an aesthetically pleasing environment such as the Mitchell reading room is valued less than the revenue that can be gained by hiring out such a space for public events, and that public programming is more valued than learning. One wonders if the digitisation of selected library resources in recent times has paved the way for this to occur – and likewise the sacrifice of specialist staff. Interesting to note that no retrenchments are planned but that full time staff need to be reduced by almost a fifth, from 360.5 in 2013 to 312 by 2016-17 http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/la/qala.nsf/c1e52c2011c46013ca2574a20081ab75/36239397e50ad278ca257c15000eb6db?OpenDocument

By: Michelle Nichols

Michelle Nichols — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:29:46 +0000

This seems to be a very backward step for the State Library with little consultation. Researchers wishing to consult original material from the Mitchell have little choice whilst those taming advantage of the internet and digital collections do and can make use of their uni and public libraries. I have undertaken much research in the Mitchell and believe my visit as an eager student in high school led me to my career path. I was entranced with the collection and remember being in awe of those historians around me. Very sad and disappointed.

By: Emma Dortins

Emma Dortins — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 09:12:38 +0000

I’m also incredibly disappointed to hear of the plans to dedicate this inspiring space, that’s fostered the work of generations of historians, as well as the research fuelling novelists and other creative types and public intellectuals , to students for study, chat and eating and drinking that could be done anywhere. Like Perry, I could not have completed my PhD without the Mitchell Library, its reference and manuscript collections and card catalogue. I recently visited the New York Public Library, just to view the various reading rooms, all clearly cherished, historic spaces and home to serious research activity, and I was proud to know that back home, I could expect to return to the Mitchell and enjoy something similar. I could not possibly have foreseen that its days were numbered. For a long time, students cramming for exams and chatting have competed for space with researchers in the Mitchell – its a very attractive space – but I did not possibly have imagined that this would be the result! Seriously alarmed, Emma

By: Evan c.Best

Evan c.Best — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 05:52:28 +0000

The destruction of the layout and amenities of the Mitchell Library as it has been for many years is most reprehensible.It shows a complete disrespect for literary and historical scholarship, for the honourable founder, Sir Thomas Mitchell and for his memory. The technologically absorbed younger generation is being given a lesson in their elders’ disrespect for history and scholarship while the learned researchers are being greatly inconvenienced and dissuaded from researching efficiently, for example a prize-winning author who is visiting from Perth, W.A., was warned that he “might find an attic in which to wait for the material he needs to be found in the depths of the re-organised chaos” let alone an area conducive to quiet research.
Why can the State Librarian not admit that the current changes are being made for financial reasons and not for reasons of enhancing research and scholarship?

By: Jan Worthington

Jan Worthington — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 07:42:27 +0000

I think it is absolutely outrageous what they have done to the Mitchell Library reading room. There is no respect for this cultural and historic venue which was purpose built to encourage serious academia in our history and heritage. The changes taking place without consultation with the long time users and general public are to be condemned.