Oxford Union Society Library Committee
Minutes of Meeting MT 2013 Week 3 (Monday 28th October), 2.15pm
Present: Nasim Asl, Mark Bosley, David Browne, Kostas Chryssnathopoulos
(Standing Committee Representative), Timothy Foot, Diana Hackett (Minutes
Secretary), Charles Helding, Crawford Jamieson (Librarian-Elect), Su Lockley
(Librarian-in-Charge), Garrett Morris, Liam Murphy, Eve Phillips, Ylwa Pettersson,
Sean Power (Senior Librarian), Cason Reily, Ben Sullivan (Junior Librarian), John
Whitehead and Wybo Wiersma.
1.
Apologies
Apologies were received from Jane Chan and Phillip Counsell.
2.
Membership
The Committee was introduced to Charles Helding, Ylwa Pettersson and Cason Reily,
who were all interested in becoming members of the Committee.
The Committee was introduced to Rebecca Carson, who was sitting in on the meeting
to gain more of an idea of how the Committee works and what its functions are.
3.
Minutes and Matters Arising from Previous Meeting
The Librarian-in-Charge confirmed that signs have been put up on both Poetry Room
doors to remind people to be quiet both within the room and when working on the
landing outside.
Wybo Wiersma sent the Librarian-in-Charge the instructions that are displayed on his
college photocopier, which the Deputy Librarian then used as a basis to draw up
instructions for the new Library copier, which are now displayed on the photocopier
itself.
The Librarian-Elect will raise the matter of the debating books from IDEA UK at the
Debate Selection Committee meeting this week.
The Junior Librarian confirmed that names of the new members – Nasim Asl, David
Browne and Rupert Cunningham - had been ratified at Standing Committee.
4.
Matters Arising from Standing Committee
There were none.
5.
Complaints Book
There were no complaints in the book this week.
6.
Membership of Strategy Committee
One junior member of Library Committee is required to join the Library Strategy
Committee to replace James Manuell. The Committee next meets at 10.30am on
Wednesday 13th November 2013, MT week 5.
Nasim Asl volunteered to become the second junior member and this was agreed by
the Committee. The current senior member is Mark Bosley, and the other junior
member is Jane Chan.
7.
Book Lists for MT Week 3: Politics (£240), Law (£301)
The Politics list was not available in time for the meeting. The Junior Librarian will
liase with Sophie Chen to ensure that it is ready for the MT Week 4 meeting.
The Law list was prepared by David Browne, using course-reading lists and through
consultation with current law students. The list was passed.
8.
Book Lists for MT Week 4: Fiction & Recreation (£280), Travel (£225),
Music (£225)
The Fiction and Recreation list, prepared by Eve Phillips, was available and so was
considered by the Committee in place of the Politics list. The list included many
works of fantasy fiction, as requested by readers, a book by the recent winner of the
Nobel Prize for Literature Alice Munro, and several books on crafts and hobbies. It
also includes three replacement copies for damaged books. The list was passed.
The Librarian-in-Charge will prepare the Travel list and Timothy Foot will prepare
the Music list.
9.
Book Lists for MT Week 5: Theology (£180), Computer Science (£225),
Geography & Geology (£203)
The Librarian-Elect will prepare the Theology list, Wybo Wiersma will prepare the
Computer Science list and Eve Phillips will prepare the Geography and Geology list.
10.
Members’ Suggestions (£74)
The Committee decided to purchase the following books:
 Principles of Criminal Law, 7th ed, by Andrew Ashworth and Jeremy Horder
 Surfaces and Essences, by Douglas Hofstader and Emmanuel Sander
 Scottish Clans: legend, logic and evidence, by Adrian C. Grant
A copy of Nursery of Statesmen has been presented to the Junior Librarian as a
donation from The Rt. Hon Sir Peter Tapsell MA MP, Hon. Deputy Chairman of The
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Oxford Foundation. The book details the history of the
relationship between Mitsubishi and the Union Society, and the establishment and
management of the Foundation. The author, Haruko Fukuda OBE MA (Cantab) Dsc,
has been a Trustee of the Foundation since 1988. There is a handwritten dedication
from Sir Peter Tapsell in the book, which the Junior Librarian read aloud to the
Committee.
The Committee was delighted to accept the donation. Garrett Morris suggested that a
thank you letter be composed and sent to Sir Peter Tapsell and Haruko Fukuda. This
was agreed and the Junior Librarian will write the letter and bring it to the MT Week
4 meeting, so that it can be signed on behalf of the Committee.
11.
DVD List 2013MT3
The list was passed.
12.
Deferred Withdrawals 2013MT2
The Librarian-in-Charge researched the usage of the multi-volume edition of Henri
Bremond’s Histoire litteraire du sentiment religieux en France depuis la fin des
Guerres de Religion jusqu’a nos jours in other libraries. There are 12 sets on SOLO,
and the work is readily accessible. However, the only copies that had ever been
borrowed were those at the Bodleian and the Taylor Institute, and in both cases this
was only of select volumes.
The Committee therefore agreed to withdraw the work.
13.
Withdrawals 2013MT3
The Librarian-in-Charge will check the usage of the following books in other
libraries:
 Footsteps At The Lock, by Ronald A. Knox
 Hanover to Windsor, by Roger Fulford
 King William IV, by Philip Ziegler
 Reign of Beau Brummell, by Willard Connely
 Trial of Queen Caroline, by Roger Fulford
All other books will be withdrawn.
14.
New Members
The Committee approved Charles Helding (PPE, Jesus College) and Cason Reily
(PPE, Trinity College) as junior members, and Ylwa Pettersson (History, New
College) as a graduate member. The Junior Librarian will take their names to
Standing Committee for ratification.
15.
Any Other Business
Wybo Wiersma confirmed that he had contacted the IT Officer with regard to the
computers in the Goodman Library. The IT Officer has been extremely busy
completing work for OLDUT and Standing Committee, but anticipates that the
computers will be installed and ready for use in approximately two weeks.
The Librarian-in-Charge asked if it would be possible for the Union Library Twitter
feed to be displayed on the Oxford Union homepage, in the same fashion as the Union
Twitter feed. Wybo Wiersma suggested that this might cause confusion between the
feeds. The Librarian-Elect agreed with Wybo, and thought it would make the page too
cluttered. The Junior Librarian pointed out that the design of the website was
currently under discussion, but agreed that the Library Twitter should have a presence
on it. He will investigate what would be possible and report back to the Committee.
The Junior Librarian will also liaise with the other Union officers to arrange for the
Union Twitter to follow the Library Twitter account.
16.
Time and Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Library Committee will take place on Monday 4th November
2013, MT week 4, at 2.15pm in the Morris Room.