Comments on: Treasury Plans To Cut British Library Funding http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/ Taking a different one on the news Sat, 19 May 2012 13:07:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: J Keith http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-6382 Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:08:41 +0000 http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-6382 Accountants appear to be in charge. Do they forget that they needed libraries during their studies to get their diplomas? This is like the university tuition fees robbery. MPs educated at university from world war 2 to the 1990s received some local authority help towwards their study. Now they force students to "pay their way" and leave university with a degree plus debt of £12K upwards (or for those who may do postgraduate work, £20K. Or for those trying to become doctors, architects, vets: £30K). Then they wonder why so many try to go abroad where salaries & facilities are better. And a house may be affordable. Government says its support for "the arts" cannot go on indefinitely. Why not? It is one of the most important institutions in the UK. Its remit is to keep much of its material (books, manuscripts, prints & drawings, technical journals and data, newspapers &c) in perpetuity for all of us. How can it do this, if state support for it cannot go on indefinitely? Supporting it is an absolutely right way to spend our taxes. This government is quite wrong to propose, or even encourage proposals. to reduce support for the BL. Accountants appear to be in charge. Do they forget that they needed libraries during their studies to get their diplomas?

This is like the university tuition fees robbery. MPs educated at university from world war 2 to the 1990s received some local authority help towwards their study. Now they force students to “pay their way” and leave university with a degree plus debt of £12K upwards (or for those who may do postgraduate work, £20K. Or for those trying to become doctors, architects, vets: £30K). Then they wonder why so many try to go abroad where salaries & facilities are better. And a house may be affordable.

Government says its support for “the arts” cannot go on indefinitely. Why not? It is one of the most important institutions in the UK. Its remit is to keep much of its material (books, manuscripts, prints & drawings, technical journals and data, newspapers &c) in perpetuity for all of us. How can it do this, if state support for it cannot go on indefinitely? Supporting it is an absolutely right way to spend our taxes. This government is quite wrong to propose, or even encourage proposals. to reduce support for the BL.

]]> by: Sharon http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5752 Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:14:33 +0000 http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5752 The trouble is today that the financial myopes, those who know the price of everything but the value of nothing, & who only plan for the next six months, whose idea of 'long term' is twelve to eighteen months, are in charge. Of course they're cutting back on the British Library - they don't understand its value. They don't want those who leave school actually able to read going there & 'getting ideas' after all. The trouble is today that the financial myopes, those who know the price of everything but the value of nothing, & who only plan for the next six months, whose idea of ‘long term’ is twelve to eighteen months, are in charge.

Of course they’re cutting back on the British Library - they don’t understand its value. They don’t want those who leave school actually able to read going there & ‘getting ideas’ after all.

]]> by: Rhys Wilcox http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5663 Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:36:36 +0000 http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5663 Print is dead! Long live downloadable pdf and electronic handheld readers! Hang on, my eyes are bleeding. Print is dead! Long live downloadable pdf and electronic handheld readers!

Hang on, my eyes are bleeding.

]]> by: theo http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5646 Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:25:00 +0000 http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5646 I agree with the cuts. Books should be secret open only those with a private education or privately funded membership. Knowledge after all is power. I agree with the cuts. Books should be secret open only those with a private education or privately funded membership. Knowledge after all is power.

]]> by: RJ Barker http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5542 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:56:43 +0000 http://www.theslant.co.uk/2007/01/30/treasury-plans-to-cut-british-library-funding/#comment-5542 ?As a government we at New Labour are one hundred per cent committed to bringing the people of Britain together under a banner of ??The Stupid.??? Idiots. ?As a government we at New Labour are one hundred per cent committed to bringing the people of Britain together under a banner of ??The Stupid.???

Idiots.

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