V&A National Art Library faces massive job cuts amid museum restructuring

The Victoria and Albert Museum's National Art Library is undergoing severe staff reductions, with 30 librarians set to be cut to just 10 positions, eliminating two-thirds of its workforce. This move is part of a broader restructuring under director Tristram Hunt, who cited significant financial challenges from the past year. The library, housing around a million items including Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, is one of the world's premier art libraries. A petition against the cuts has garnered over 7,000 signatures. Last month, The Guardian reported impending 20% cuts in the V&A's curatorial division and threats to other specialist departments, with an insider warning of a hollowing out of museum expertise as experienced conservators and technicians depart. Hunt's plans involve replacing material-based curatorial departments with cross-disciplinary teams focused on time periods and geography. In a related development, the Wallace Collection recently faced backlash over a proposal to close its library to the public, leading to nearly 30,000 petition signatures; after internal consultation, the library will remain open, though director Xavier Bray cautioned about future difficult decisions for financial sustainability.