Dean: We want to give books away

The Faculty of the Humanities is trying to find a way to give away the hundreds of thousands of books, that they had previously announced that they would destroy.

This is according to a press release.

»We do not want to send books to the incinerator, if there are other solutions that do not have a negative effect on the finances of the Faculty of Humanities,« says Dean Kirsten Refsing in the release. She adds that the Faculty is looking into ways to give books to those who are interested.

Need to fit into modern building

She says that the University of Copenhagen is only following a Ministry of Science rule that government property cannot be given away, and that they have now requested dispensation.

»If we cannot find a solution, a legal destruction of the books may still happen,« says Kirsten Refsing. She emphasises that it is normal for libaries to clear up in their collections and throw out books.

She defends the decision to modernise the book collection.

»We are talking about going through the library collections so that they fit into a modern university building, and have value for the researchers and students that use them«.

miy@adm.ku.dk