Sign the petition here.

A petition, launched by FELIX, asking college to pay for air conditioning in the central library has nearly 1000 signatures after being launched on Friday.

The college got planning permission for air conditioning units on the library’s roof two years ago, but little has happened since then. The library told FELIX earlier this week that sorting out the temperature of the worst affected top floors would cost in the region of £13.5 million and that so far, college had only allocated them half of that figure.

They’re still waiting on the other half, and that’s where you come in.

Only you guys can make this happen. If you want to be an agent of real change, sign our change.org petition, requesting that Imperial put air conditioning in the library. Then spread the word, because without those numbers, college simply won’t listen.

We know £6.75 million is a lot of money, but we also know college has that kind of cash. We, as Imperial, don’t ask for much. We don’t occupy lecture theatres or go on rent strikes. So let’s politely request that the library, where many of us have spent so many uncomfortable, sweaty hours, gets some air con.

The library is not to blame – the librarians want air conditioning as much as we do. So let’s help them out by demanding that college stump up the money and finally get this sorted.

A consultation in 2014 found that the most common library gripe amongst students was the fact that it was too hot. They’ve done their market research, and now the work just needs to be funded.

So, sign it today at felixonline.co.uk/go/library. Time is running out – planning permission doesn’t last forever. The quicker we persuade college, the more likely you are to benefit from the change. This week’s white paper makes it clear that students are now customers. Universities will have to start paying attention to satisfaction ratings, as it will affect how much they can charge in fees. Imperial, like any other university, has to care what its students want. And now, we have to tell them what we need.