Library funding cut threatens rare folios of Shakespeare

Evening Standard13 April 2012

One of the capital's landmark libraries is under threat because of funding cuts.

Senate House, an imposing Art Deco building that was once the second tallest structure in London after St Paul's, is home to the University of London collection.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has announced a £700,000 cut - about 16 per cent of the library's annual budget. The loss threatens the care of its specialist collections, many of which require environmentally controlled storage and sensitive handling. Its precious items include two early editions of Shakespeare's First Folio, valued at £2.8million. It is also home to 13,000 books, letters and relics on the supernatural, dating back to AD500.

The institution is seeking private donors. Director David Pearson said: "Most of our income goes on breadandbutter costs such as staff and maintenance. There's not much left over for special collections."

The news comes as writers including Melanie McGrath and Benjamin Zephaniah fight the closure of Tower Hamlets local history library and archives in Stepney, after the council sold the building to Queen Mary College for £1.2 million.

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