Category: Education

The backlash over discarded Yale-NUS books wasn’t just a sentimental response. It was about valuing print and the stewardship of resources.

The backlash over discarded Yale-NUS books wasn’t just a sentimental response. It was about valuing print and the stewardship of resources.

Two professors said they were not informed about any opportunity to claim the books before they were disposed of. 

It began with photos in a group chat: Dozens of white plastic bags, tightly packed with books, piled near the drop-off point at Yale-NUS College….

About 8,500 duplicate books from the Yale-NUS library will be given to book fairs, instead of being disposed of, following an outcry from some alumni. Some 500 of the 9,000 books originally slated for recycling were taken away….

Associate Professor Natalie Pang, University Librarian of NUS, said she was “aghast” that the books were picked up for recycling despite students expressing interest in owning them. 

The college, whose last cohort graduated in May, had 45,000 books in its library.

Photos and videos of a recycling company loading the books onto a truck on May 20 were shared on social media.

Hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS College library were reportedly sent for disposal or recycling on Tuesday, triggering an outcry from its alumni and students.

The incident comes after the final weeks of Yale-NUS College’s existence.