Universities and libraries in Australia, it seems, are becoming anti-books. Large collections of books amassed by academics and others over their lifetime are going begging for new homes.
One such collection is that of the late Sol Encel, called the Father of Australian Sociology, who for many years was a member of the ALP and an activist, involved in such organisations as the Council for Civil Liberties , the National Health and Medical Research Council, science policy, education, multicultural issues and support for unemployed.
Professor Encel , who wrote landmark books such as Cabinet Government in Australia ( 1962), Australian Society (1965) and Equality and Authority in Australia (1970) died on July 23,2010, aged 85.
Little Darwin has been informed that his vast collection of books and papers has been offered to various universities, including the University of New South Wales , where he was an Honorary Fellow and Emeritus Professor in the Social Policy Research Centre, so far without any takers. A prominent member of the Jewish community,Encel was a moderate Zionist and a member of Academics for Peace in the Middle East.
An Australian academic told Little Darwin that there are several other valuable collections going begging, institutions reluctant to have them. Libraries cited such problems as finding shelf space for large collections, the task of cataloguing , the problem of conservation (which libraries were able to cope with 500 years ago but seemingly not in modern times ), lack of funds and shortage of staff , the trend to electronic books.
The academic said many students undergoing courses today did not handle a book, gazing into screens instead,which he personally felt was a traqedy.Furthermore, he said the National Library of Australia also seemed to be reluctant to accept similar collections .
Another emeritus professor in a southern capital is concerned about the fate of his impressive 12,000 volume collection dealing with South East Asia.His own university where he taught does not want the wide ranging source of information . A Darwin friend mentioned the collection to a contact at Charles Darwin University and received less than a luke warm response. This , he felt, was surprising when the NT Government and the university make much of Darwin being next to the big population and growth areas to the north of the NT, increasing links with China and other countries in the region.
