Petition against relocation of European Resource Centre/Baykov Library at University of Birmingham

[Wilkinson, C.]

Dear All,

It has been announced that the European Resource Centre, which incorporates
the Baykov Library, is to be moved off the main Edgbaston campus here at the
University of Birmingham and relocated off the main campus at a site several
miles away (the Orchard Learning Resource Centre, accessible via a 15-20
minute shuttle bus ride). The move is to be completed by September.

This decision has been taken without any consultation with staff or
students, despite the detrimental impact that more limited access will have
to both teaching and research in the fields of Russian and East European
Studies and European Studies more widely.

The justification for not consulting staff or students is that this is the
only viable option, seeing as the ERC has been identified as the location
for a new "Heritage Learning Hub".

Information about the Baykov Library, which is a unique collection of social
science texts relating to Russia and Eastern Europe, can be found at
http://www.crees.bham.ac.uk/about/baykov.shtml

A petition has been set up and your support would be appreciated in trying
to keep this resource on campus and accessible to students, staff and
visitors alike. The petition is at
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/baykov-library.html

Please feel free to forward this information.

With thanks,

C. Wilkinson

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