The British Library's decision to consider renting out three of its reading rooms to private contractors has sparked controversy. The move would change the character of the institution, which is designed for people to read and study in.
According to the Guardian, the library is facing financial difficulties after a cyber-attack in 2023, which was one of the most serious in the UK's history. The attack led to the resignation of the library's chief executive, Roly Keating, and his replacement, Rebecca Lawrence, lasted less than a year.
The British Library's new boss, Dr Paul Bate, has been in post for less than a week and needs to give a fuller account to staff, users, and the public about what is going on. The library is overseen by a board, but since 84% of its £170m annual budget comes from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, ministers should be constructively engaged.