Anger over British Library students

Academics have voiced their anger over the number of undergraduates using the British Library.

Two years ago, the prestigious library opened its door to university students who are increasingly using the venue as a place to study and revise, The Times reports.

Historians Lady Antonia Fraser and Claire Tomalin as well as the author Christopher Hawtree are among those who have spoken of their frustrations concerning noise levels and long queues to the paper.

Tristram Hunt, a historian, stated that the British Library has gained kudos with the undergraduate population.

'It's a 'groovy place' to meet for a frappuccino. It's noisy and it's undermining both the British Library's function, as books take longer to get, and the scholarly atmosphere,' he said.

However, the library noted that although its users may experience busy periods, 'there are currently no plans to restrict the numbers of users.'

Manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, music scores, and patents are housed in the library, which stocks every publication produced in the UK and Ireland.