This was the library in which I earned my stripes, 30 years ago, most happily in the music department under Roger Flury. In those days records - yes, records! - were reasonably precious commodities and the highlight of the month would be the arrival of parcels of classical music from the UK, or jazz from the US. Details of what equipment records would be played on was recorded and every record was cleaned on its return; the Schwann and Gramophone catalogues were our bibles.

There was nowhere else in town that had such a collection and it was used by everybody: university lecturers, performers, students and the general public. 

 

The way it has been stripped out seems almost more barbaric than the way it will, very soon, be demolished. Demolition seems clean and clinical compared to the way in which glass has been broken, carpets torn up and the whole place exposed to the weather and the taggers.

I just wish the barbarians would come through the gates and finish the job off.