Petition to air con in the library hits 1000 signatures

Sign the petition here.

FELIX’s petition to get air conditioning in the library has had a strong opening week, reaching 1000 signatures on its third day, showing how keen students are for better revision conditions.

Comments from miffed students on why they signed the petition range from the factual: “I am a student at Imperial and I find the library very hot” to the less serious: “MAKE THE LIBRARY GREAT AGAIN”, “I don't want to melt”, and “It’s a shepherd’s pie in there”.

Other commenters get straight to the real talk: “Because I pay £26,000 a year in tuition fees” and some really break it down: “You are supposedly educating our next generation of scientists. Any educationalist will tell you that comfort and confidence lead to success. Buildings are created to reduce external influences eg cold, wind and even heat. Students overheating does not equate to comfort and and the right learning environment. Imperial you are one of the richest universities, get a grip and put in air conditioning!”

Imperial successfully applied for planning permission for the air conditioning units needed back in 2014, however, nothing has been done with these plans since then. The library needs £13.5 million to complete the necessary works, but it has only been allocated half of the money.

This issue is one many students have rallied behind, and we believe that if enough of us shout loud enough, all together, at the right time of year, college might hear us, and fork out for some air con.

The £6.75 million still needed by the library could pay for one tall strawberries and cream frappuccino for every student, every week of term for the next three years. Air conditioning would probably last longer though.

We’re planning on presenting the petition to senior members of college this week, so any final signatures could really help our case.

You can sign the petition at felixonline.co.uk/go/library.