| Description | Minutes, supporting papers and correspondence of a committee established in response to an article by Dr Ashby, Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, which had been published in the 'Universities Quarterly' and was subsequently reprinted in the 'Birmingham University Gazette', recommending that university libraries, refectories, and buildings for student social activities should stay open in the evenings to provide an alternative to halls of residence which it was not possible to build because of the 'national situation' in the immediate post-war period when there were restrictions on large scale construction projects due to shortages of building materials and labour
The committee investigated the possibility of keeping the library and refectories open in the evenings, and the papers include submissions by the University Librarian in response to different suggestions for extended opening hours; papers discussing the provision of evening meals in the Guild building; and a copy of a Memorandum by the Vice-Principal which set out decisions made by the Committee, to keep the library at Edgbaston open until 7pm, but not the library at Edmund Street, as students would be able to use Birmingham Reference Library in the evenings instead, and to offer evening meals at the Guild building. There is also a copy of the Report of the 'Ashby Plan' Committee to Council in April 1952, and papers discussing negotiations for landladies to offer rebates to students in private lodgings who ate an evening meal at the Guild rather than one provided by the landlady
Surviving records are not the authorised versions but were probably papers kept by the Registrar |