More than a symbol
The University library is more than a symbol of
scholarship. It is the lifeblood of research for the social
sciences and humanities.
We are the only institution that offers doctorates in
the social sciences and humanities in the state.
Our library is in poor shape.
The students can't always get help, the paint is peel
ing, periodicals have been cut, the budget is not growing
and the books are decaying due to an inadequate climate
control system.
Though the library budget has not been allotted less
dollars in the last few years, the library’s funding problem
stems from a real budgetary decrease throughout the
1970s when inflation and the poor exchange rate of the
dollar (the University has the largest collection of foreign
publications in the state) started eating away the services
and collection.
And nothing was done to stop the withering of
Oregon’s only member of the 101 academic members in the
Association of Research Libraries in the United States and
Canada.
Last year the University library was rated 92nd by
ARL in number of acquisitions.
We are improving a bit, however, the year before we
were 99th out of the 101 — a rating increase of seven. Just
an historical note: We added about half the number of
books last year that we did in I962. Roughly, the University
acquired 60,000 volumes in I962 and 30,000 in I982.
Another notable indication of how we rate is the ratio
of student to professional (librarians with master degrees)
and professional to classified staff. By all measures the
University is highly dependent on student work study
employees. They are a cheap replacement to professional
and classified staff.
The University library computerization is 1960s vin
tage
Library-users know the library has poor ventilation
and is over-heated. The books are literally baking.
The conglomerate edifice known as the University
library is really three structures: the original building built
in 1937 and two additions built in 1950 and 1966. Each has
an air-handling system without climate control. The
temperature cannot be finely adjusted to preserve books.
Perhaps the final testing of an academic library is the
study service it provides. Yet, for undergraduates and
graduate students in the social sciences and humanities
— not to mention professors, the ambience of our library
leaves much to be desired.
The library was last painted in 1966 The number of
desks and tables is decreasing rapidly. Even with the pre
sent poor rate of book acquistions there will be no desks
left for students in 10 years.
Enough. So what can be done for our beleaguered
library?
Well, some things are being done. For the first time, a
special account of several thousand dollars is being used
to buy duplicate reserve books. This small amount might
help students actually get to read that over-sought
reserve book.
Then there’s the problem of space. Desks could be
pushed closer to the poorly-designed let-in-no light win
dows. The ERIC Clearinghouse on Education Manage
ment housed on the first floor should be moved and the
entire library returned to the library. This must be cheaper
than building an extra wing.
A portion of the maintenance budget must be ear
marked for the library. The plaster is falling on students in
the downstairs eating room and the newspaper reading
room.
Let’s get some paint. The librarian says it takes about
$50,000 to paint a building that size. If the University can’t
afford a contractor, the ASUO, or some other student
groups could organize a volunteer effort to paint the main
rooms this summer.
The student government needs to direct lobbying at
tention to the state of the University library.
Just as the University has special fund-raisers for the
Ducks or a new stadium, a private fund-raising drive just
for the library needs to be undertaken. Programs such as
the 1982 graduating class donations are just the icing.
Our library needs capital to be competitive again.
The $1 million allocation to state system libraries
proposed in the governor's budget would be an obvious
place to start soliciting money for the University library.
Again, the state board needs to understand the impor
tance of the University library over others in the state
system.
The quality of our library Is in serious question. And
without a quality library we cannot be a quality university.
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Overcome
Regarding David Cree’s Feb.
17 letter, “transients” — yes, I
have looked around the cam
pus and I am overcome with
consternation. I vehemently
agree that a “tragic injustice"
has trangressed. The victims
— the discarded transients.
Many so-called “transients"
once enjoyed the social in
teraction of the TV room.
There was alv ays a warm,
friendly person who had time
to listen and share his
thoughts.
I agree, Cree, that the TV
room should be reinstated, but
not as a release for marginal
students, like yourself, to ra
tionalize their classroom in
adequacies as you suggest.
Bring back the TV room as a
cultural forum for persons
with alternative backgrounds
to freely interact in an unstruc
tured environment.
As you drive down the road
of life, Cree — seeing the
world with the sterile, em
pirical eyes of a physicist, the
hope is that you collide head
on with destitution and have
to rely on cruel, pseudo
erudite individuals like
yourself.
Shawn Montoya
aanlor, political aclanca
Ridiculous
This year's IFC, with the
ridiculous brouhaha it has
created, has done a fine job
proving to the students what
an egotistical and ignorant
committee it has become.
Last year I had the privilege to
serve on tne very same
committee
Within one week, I realized
that the committee serves as a
Oregon daily
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald it published Monday through
Friday eicept during esam week and vacations, by the Oregon
Daily Emerald Publishing Co . at the University ol Oregon.
Eugene. Oft. 97403
The Emerald operates independently ol the University
•nth offices on Ihe third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and it
a member of the Associated Press
Meets and Editorial 640 5511
Dfsptey Advertising and Busines• 6*6 3712
Classified Advertising 6464343
_
644-4341
444-4511
Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Assistant News Editor
Editonai Page Editor
Photo Editor
Sports Editor
Associate Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Night Editor
Attociitl Editor!
Higher Education
Departments and Schools
Student Government
Features
Politics
Student Servtces/Corr.munity Allans
General Stall
Advertising Manager
Classified Advertising
Production Manager
Control ter
Harry Esteve
John Heaty
Marian Green
Cort Fernald
Joan Nytand
Sob Baker
Mike Riplinger
Paul Danzer
Jonathan Siegle
John Healy
Sandy Johnstone
Frank Shaw
Richard Burr
Sean Meyers
Michele Matassa
Aieta Zak
Darlene Gore
Sally Oljar
Victoria Koch
Jean Ownbey
stage for bureaucratic
pretenders playing psuedo
government. However, we
were able to get our work done
without supplying the Emerald
with a “Laverne and
Shirley"/"As The World Turns"
scenario.
The all-time classic episode
this year has got to be Dianne
Ritterband-Mason’s gutless
act of reversing her vote on the
American Advertising Federa
tion's budget after the pro
gram director had already left
the room. Dianne, if you’re go
ing to be so wishy-washy, at
least have the balls to stick to
your decision once you’ve
made it — and get a real name
while you're at it.
My advice is that we take all
the money that is allocated for
the stipends of these seven
power-hungry children and
hire a computer programmer
to write a program that would
allocate our student fees to
the various groups, based on
the number of students the
group actively reaches.
At least this way, if the com
mittee still wants to continue
its soap opera-like meetings,
they can do it on their time and
not our money.
But do keep covering the
meetings, it's entertaining to
read all the hoopla and start
the day off with a laugh.
Robert Payne
Junior, telecommunications
Senator policy
I appreciated your recent
editorial critizing Sen. Bob
Packwood for his lack of sup
port for the Nuclear Freeze. It
appears, however, that
something he said was
misinterpreted. I believe his
statement regarding "selling"
nuclear weapons to Europe
was misunderstood.
The United States is not go
ing to sell nuclear weapons to
Europe. I suspect what
Packwood was referring to
was “selling” the idea of
deployment to the European
people.
In fact, unlike most NATO
nuclear weapons in Europe,
the European allies will have
absolutely no control over the
Cruise and Pershing II
missiles. They will be under
complete U.S. control. The
decision to fire them will not,
ultimately, be in the hands of
the Europeans.
The logic of this policy is
that the Europeans want the
United States to be responsi
ble for the nuclear attack on
the Soviet Union, thereby en
suring a Soviet attack on the
United States. This is a policy
referred to as "coupling,"
wherein the defense of
Western Europe is linked
directly to the survival of the
United States. This will ease
the fear of Europeans about
U.S. plans to wage “limited”
nuclear war in Europe. It at
tempts to guarantee that any
Soviet attack on NATO will
result in world-wide holocaust.
This is the nature of the
“security” provided by
Packwood; to push the work to
the brink of holocaust, but not
over the edge.
If this policy fails to make
you fee! "secure," let Pack
wood know Tell him to
support the Nuclear Freeze,
and to oppose deployment of
Cruise and Pershing II
missiles in Europe.
Tom Lynch
Citizens Action lor
Lasting Security