National Library staff begin work at 3 a.m. to protect collections from leaks

Staff at the National Library of Wales get to work at 3am to protect collections from damage caused by a leaky roof, the chief librarian has warned.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan told the Senedd's culture committee that Storm Kathleen had damaged the library's roof and no work had been carried out on parts of the building for 90 years.

He welcomed the provision of an extra £3.7m announced in July, including £1.9m for library repairs, but warned: “Two nights ago there was more rain due to the very heavy rain we had.

“Staff arrived at 3am – they did what they could to cope.”

Dr. Morgan said work will begin soon and the roof will be safe by next summer.

“No hiding”

The Culture Committee is conducting an inquiry into the impact of cuts to culture in the Welsh Government's 2024/25 budget.

Delyth Jewell, chairman of the committee, raised concerns about staff cuts at the library in Aberystwyth putting the long-term security of Welsh heritage at risk.

Dr. Morgan said funding cuts had resulted in the library focusing on its core services and implementing a voluntary staff reduction program.

“As a result of these cuts, 24 employees are leaving us,” he said, warning of significant knowledge and skills gaps.

“That represents 10% of our workforce and there is no denying that this obviously raises concerns in terms of the institution's ability to do everything in the same way.”

“This is not possible.”

'Worried'

Dr. Morgan, who joined the library in the spring, added, “Some things may need to slow down, and maybe after these cuts, fewer things will happen.”

He told the committee that the library was also discussing changes to its pension system, which he described as an important part of its financial position.

When asked about morale, he said staff were concerned about the workload and the future of the library.

When asked about the possible impact of similar cuts or a blanket provision in next year's budget, Dr. Morgan faces further job losses in both scenarios.

Ashok Ahir, president of the library's board of trustees, warned that momentum could be lost if the library in Aberystwyth is reached through collaborative and digital work.