Library selling archived items to prevent decay

Hove Library is selling part of its archive after a review found issues with storage

A library in Hove is selling part of its archive to stop the delicate items disintegrating.

The upper and lower galleries at Hove Library are unsuitable for storing older materials, a review has revealed.

Councillor Leslie Pumm said the collections were underused and selling them would help protect "valuable" stock.

Money raised from the public auction will be used to maintain the library.

A two-year investigation found issues with overcrowding, humidity, poor ventilation and temperature control in the library's upper and lower galleries.

“These collections were underused by our residents, or already available in different forms, and can now get a new lease on life without the peril of decay,” said Mr Pumm, of Brighton & Hove City Council.

Public auction

A number of items were donated to The Keep, an archive in Brighton. The Jubilee Library, also in Brighton, did not have space for the remaining materials.

The council said it worked with universities, art galleries and museums to try to keep the archives in the city.

The library considered the availability, local relevance, public interest and value of the materials when deciding which to sell.

Editions of The Studio, an art magazine which ran between 1893 and 1964, and Picture Post, a photojournalistic magazine running from 1938 to 1957, will be the first to be sold.

They will be followed by a number of street directories and the library's collection of Vogue magazine.