Scholars condemn ‘philistine’ cost-cutting at Society of Antiquaries

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http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/mar/22/scholars-condemn-philistine-cost-cutting-society-antiquaries

Some of London institution’s fellows say traditional scholarship and research will be harmed by plan to reduce library staff

Scholars condemn ‘philistine’ cost-cutting at Society of Antiquaries
Dalya Alberge
Tuesday 22 March 2016 03.00 EDT

Some of Britain’s most eminent scholars have condemned “philistine” plans to cut library staff from one of the nation’s oldest and most respected learned institutions.

The Society of Antiquaries, founded in 1707 and based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London, was given a royal charter in 1751 for “the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history”.

Now some of its 3,000 elected fellows are outraged by cost-cutting plans that they believe will damage the society’s antiquarian library, the finest in the country.

One source said: “All fellows recently received a circular from the president and general secretary. This announced the extraordinary decision that all save one of the library staff were going to be sacked and then allowed to apply for fewer jobs part-time.”