Library staff believed manuscripts were ‘mis-shelved’ in 2000 but now think theft likelyTwo Charles Darwin manuscripts have been reported as stolen from Cambridge University library two decades after they were last seen. There have been continuous searches since the notebooks went missing, she said, and it is now thought “likely that theft occurred”. Cambridge University library has more than 130 miles (210km) of shelving and is home to about 10m books, maps, manuscripts and other objects. We’ve devoted the whole of our careers to the preservation of cultural heritage and we’re devastated by what has happened.”The two Darwin notebooks had previously been digitised and their content is available online. Prof Stephen J Toope, the vice-chancellor of the university, said: “Cambridge University library is one of the world’s great libraries and home to globally important collections, assembled and cared for over six centuries, and encompassing thousands of years of human thought and discovery.

Source: The Guardian November 24, 2020 07:57 UTC