Madam, – The decision of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to sell off the vast majority of their early printed books by way of auctions in Great Britain does a great disservice to the city of Dublin. It greatly diminishes its importance as a centre for historical research.
Apart from transferring some textbooks to the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, the authorities at the RCSI appear not to have made any attempt to find out if other libraries in the city were interested in acquiring any of the stock at an agreed valuation. This shows a lamentable indifference to scholarly co-operation.
We fully recognise the legal right of the RCSI to dispose of its property as it chooses.
We wish that it had taken a broader view of the national interest. Dublin is not so well endowed with research libraries that we can afford these losses. – Yours, etc,