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"Dear SHARP-ists,Some further information about Cardiff City Council's plan to sell off asubstantial part of the city library's special collections.Initial BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7593883.stmFurther reports (from the Welsh media):Local political supporthttp://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/05/minister-hits-out-at-rare-books-sell-off-91466-21678538/or http://tinyurl.com/62re3tAcademic supporthttp://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/09/academics-outraged-by-council-s-book-sale-91466-21708520/or http://tinyurl.com/5vbnhqNegotiations with Cardiff University to hold collection were kept secrethttp://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2008/09/15/row-over-secrecy-of-planned-rare-book-sell-off-91466-21817485/or http://tinyurl.com/6punbzHow some of the money from the sale will be spenthttp://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/09/10/libraries-go-self-service-91466-21718471/or http://tinyurl.com/5thgjbA campaign group has been established (Sion Tudur, Peter Keelan, AndrewPrescott, Helen Nicholson, David Skilton, Wyn James, Judi Loach, and HelenPhillips) and a website is in preparation. In the meantime, AndrewPrescott's blog provides fuller details of the campaign:http://lampeterlibrary.blogspot.com/2008/09/cardiff-book-sale.htmlHelen Phillips would be grateful if copies of any letters or e-mails sent tothe Council be forwarded to herself (PhillipsHE@cardiff.ac.uk) or PeterKeelan (Keelanp@cardiff.ac.uk).The Council cites the cost of maintaining the collections as its main reasonfor sale but I understand from Helen that Cardiff University Library iswilling to house the collection. (See also the story of 15 September, citedabove.) The Council is also making making much of the collection'sapparently narrow 'readership': its own report claims that the books are'unsuitable for use by anyone other than academics and specialists' and'would only ever be used by a very narrow group of interested parties'.Ian Gadd--------------------------------Dr Ian GaddSchool of English &#38; Creative StudiesBath Spa UniversityNewton ParkBath BA2 9BNi.gadd@bathspa.ac.uk / 01225-875455(alternative e-mail: gadd_academic@yahoo.co.uk) "From SHARP-L