University libraries are more than just a warehouse for books — they’re a symbol of scholarship, collaboration and care for intellectual legacy. That’s why it’s deeply unsettling that Ablah Library threw historical research, books and other published materials into a dumpster without consulting faculty or offering alternatives.
Yes, libraries have to adapt. Yes, space is limited. And yes, the shift toward digital access is important and here to stay. But progress should never come at the expense of transparency or basic academic respect.
There is no defensible reason for a university to discard materials — especially research from past WSU faculty — without first offering them to the departments that might value them, or notifying students and scholars who would have gladly taken them. Even donating them to another institution, archival project or community space would have been a better outcome than simply trashing them.
The university says these materials were unused or duplicated elsewhere. But no circulation stat or storage cost justifies tossing out the intellectual work of past scholars without pause.
History doesn’t become less significant because it has been shelved for a while. And online access does not mean physical records are obsolete, especially for disciplines that value direct source engagement, like English and history.
This wasn’t just a mistake of disposal. It was a mistake of assumption — assuming that libraries alone should make final decisions on academic material without real dialogue with the majority of faculty or students. It’s not enough to say, “We made this choice for you.” A university library is not a personal collection; it is a shared one.
If WSU wants to remain a place that values research, innovation and interdisciplinary work, it must rethink its approach to physical materials. The library should never discard potentially valuable materials without first notifying and collaborating with the faculty about even considering a relocation. And if space or digitalization truly necessitate removal, then those plans should be communicated — clearly, respectfully and patiently, with ample time to respond.
Throwing knowledge in the dumpster — literally — should never be the first or final option.
