UNH Reviews 300,000 Books for Dimond Library Removal

A petition with over 600 signatures has challenged the University of New Hampshire's plan to review nearly 300,000 print titles for possible removal.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Higher Education

Long aisle of tall wooden library shelves packed with bound books, soft daylight from high windows across the empty rows. — The University of New Hampshire is reviewing nearly 300,000 print titles in Dimond Library for possible removal, prompting a petition with over 600 signatures. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The University of New Hampshire is reviewing nearly 300,000 print titles for potential removal from the Dimond Library. Justin Kostopulos started a petition asking UNH to reconsider the review, which gathered over 600 signatures within a week.

Why it matters

The review reflects UNH's plan to modernize its library, which was last renovated in 1996, and to open a new student center in the library's unused space in a few years. It also raises questions about how universities balance print collections against a shift toward electronic resources.

The Dimond Library is reviewing nearly 300,000 print titles, with faculty given six weeks to review the list ending Oct. 21. UNH defaults to purchasing electronic books, and its e-preferred policy has been in place for the last ten years.

The players

University of New Hampshire

A public research university in Durham, New Hampshire, which is conducting the review of Dimond Library's print collection.

Justin Kostopulos

The individual who started the petition asking UNH to reconsider the book removal review.

The details

UNH selected books for review because they had not been checked out in over a decade. The university's FAQ states that removed books can be easily found in another library or online, and thousands of Dimond Library books were previously found in a dumpster in 2014.

2014: Thousands of Dimond Library books were found in a dumpster.
1996: The library was last renovated.
Oct. 21, 2026: The faculty review period for potential titles ends.

Culture Shift

The Dimond Library review follows the 2014 discovery of thousands of its books in a dumpster, an episode that already raised concerns about how the library handled discarded material. The current effort places UNH within a broader movement among universities to shift from print collections toward electronic books.

Durham residents and UNH students who rely on the Dimond Library may find fewer print titles available on campus if the review results in removals. Students can request access to removed titles through other libraries or online resources, as UNH has noted.

The takeaway

Students and faculty who depend on specific print titles should consider checking whether those books are still held elsewhere or available electronically before the review concludes. Following the petition's progress may also show whether UNH changes its criteria.