NUS apologises after fury over Yale-NUS library book disposal, on-campus giveaway being planned
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has responded to concerns about the disposal of hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS Library.
Bags of books from the library were seen being loaded into a lorry on May 20, but not for donation or reuse.
Instead, there were reported plans for them to be sent to a recycling company for shredding.
Associate Professor Natalie Pang, a University Librarian at NUS, responded to a Stomp query on the matter on May 21.
She said: "In maintaining our library collection, excess books are routinely rehomed in other libraries or given away to faculty members and, at times, students. Books which are not taken up are then sent for recycling, in line with common library practices."
According to Prof Pang, the majority of books in the current relocation exercise have been rehomed within NUS Libraries.
She added: "In this instance, excess books were offered only to faculty members, and not students.
"We understand later that many students are interested in having these books and we would have usually acceded to their requests. We did not do so on this occasion and we apologise for the operational lapse.
"In view of the strong interest from students, we are now organising a giveaway on campus so that the excess books can find a new home.
"Going forward, we are reviewing our process and will take proactive steps to distribute excess books to the NUS community and the wider public so that they can benefit as many people as possible.
News of the incident first came to light after it was posted on the Telegram channel Sing Lit is LIT, where photos and videos of the discarded books were being circulated.
A channel member, who is a student at Yale-NUS, shared the images on his Instagram page, showing stacks of books tightly packed into plastic bags and being heaved onto a lorry.
His caption claimed: "They're going to a waste management centre to be shredded. They're not donating or giving them away."
According to The Straits Times, recycling company Green Orange Enviro were engaged to clear the books.
One worker on site said the books were being taken to Asia Recycling to be shredded, adding that 60 to 70 bags of books were being cleared, and that each bag weighed between 10kg and 15kg.
Some students reportedly attempted to salvage the books, only to be stopped by school staff.
According to a member in the Telegram channel, library staff explained to students that the books discarded were primarily duplicates, and contained "NUS RFID" tags, making redistribution tricky.
An informal message from the NUS Provost of Undergraduate Education later circulated among students, promising the aversion of the planned shredding, and to distribute the books in an on-campus giveaway.
The message, sent to a National University of Singapore College (NUSC) student group chat, read: "We will issue an apology for the lapse today. The books should not be handled this way
"We will be retrieving the books from the vendor and will be holding a book giveaway event at the YNC Library for books that we cannot bring over to Central Library because they are duplicates and after we have offered them to other libraries and there are no takers."
The incident has sparked outrage among students, who are pushing back with a petition calling for transparency and accountability from the NUS administration.
The petition demands the clarification of five key questions:
1. What is the magnitude (number, financial value) of the books that were designated for disposal, and what percentage were successfully retrieved?
2. What alternative methods of disposal were considered, and why were they rejected?
3. Who was consulted prior to the decision to dispose of the books, and how and at what stages were they consulted?
4. What standard operational procedures are currently in place to ensure the responsible handling and disposal of academic resources?
5. What measures will be taken to review, revise, and strengthen existing procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future?
The petition has garnered over 600 signatures to date.
