The Vital Organ
By Tiffany Kell
Of Mm EiMratd
The campus library system is one of the Univer
sity’s vital organs.
"It affects every program on campus,” said Laura
Simic. the coordinator of library development. “An
academic library’s quality acts as a barometer for an
institution because a quality research library is going
to attract quality professors.”
The library is critically lacking in areas crucial for
a productive research library, said University
Librarian George Shipman. However, funds recently
allotted by the University provost may help to remedy
the situation and bring the University library system
up to par, he said.
After six years of requests, Dick Hill, provost and
vice-president for academic affairs, granted the library
$75,000 for new shelving. The new addition is one
positive step in lightening staff member’s workloads;
however, it also means the removal of study desks in
the main library.
On the surface the University library system is a
quality research institution. It is the largest research
library in Oregon. In addition, it is a member of the
prestigious Association of Research Libraries, which
includes Universities such as Harvard and Stanford.
Membership in the ARL is by invitation only and in
cludes 106 academic libraries across the country.
The 1.7 million books and 17.000 periodicals
housed here gave it a 67th-place ranking among the
ARL libraries in 1065. The library also boasts an
automated catalog and interlibrary loan system
(OCLC). which enables anyone access to more than 15
million books from more than 2,000 libraries, primari
ly in the United States and Canada, but from other na
tions as well.
Despite these notable accomplishments, the
library has not been able to keep up a high level of
quality.
Many students complain that the library doesn’t
keep its reference books current enough, and accor
ding to Shipman, this is true. The library collections
are “less then adequate.'.’ Shipman said.
Since 1080 the library's collection has “lost
ground.” said Shipman, who believes the library’s
“buying power has declined.” Today the library isn’t
able to buy its fair share, he said.
I his year Gov. Neil Goldschmidt plans to increase
the library’s budget by 7 percent to cover inflationary
costs. ! bis increase in the library's acquisition budget
isn't going to be sufficient to meet the library's pur
chasing needs, however. Shipman said.
"This library is grossly underfunded." he said.
Updating books and periodicals isn’t tin: only
area that needs immediate financial attention. Uck of
automation and staffing also are pressing concerns.
Library lacking
critical lifeblood;'
sustaining dollars
When Shipman look the position of University
librarian in 1980, there was no automation in the
library; in fact the library was the last ARl. library to
install an automated system, he said.
Today all titles dating back to 1977 are on a COM
catoiog (computer output microfiche) that is updated
monthly.
The library offers a third computer system known
as INNOVAQ. With this system anyone can find out if
the library has purchased a book or title and when that
title is expected to arrive.
These relatively new systems have merely
“brought the library into the 20th century.’* said Rod
fChristensen, a business reference librarian.
The library still needs an integrated library
system, Shipman said. This on-line computer system
would allow anyone to directly query a catalog to
determine if the library owns a title, and should the
library have the needed title, the computer will state
whether it has been checked out and when it is due
back, he said.
This system wouldn't replace staff, but it would
allow staff members to do the necessary manual ser
vices more efficiently. Shipman said.
It will be at least two years before the library can
afford to install the on-line system, while many other
ARL libraries already have them, he added.
Right now Shipman's greatest problem is lack of
staffing, he said. There are three levels of staffing: pro
fessional. non-professional (classified), library-funded
students and work-study students.
The University library ranked 79th out of 108
libraries in a recent ARL statistical report that rated
the quantity of professional staff, and 97th for
classified staff.
The library needs to fill 47 classified positions in
order to reach the median level among ARL libraries,
Shipman said.
Should the library receive enough money to fill
these positions, there would In: a “quantifiable dif
ference in the level of performance.” Shipman said,
'it would mean the elimination of backlogged
cataloging.”
This extra staffing would eliminate backlogged
material bought years ago. Shipman said. The library
has enough trouble cataloguing recently purchased
materials, he said.
In the past, librarians have had to move books
back and forth to facilitate the fluctuation of returned
books due to the lack of shelving.
Inadequate shelf space is just one problem library
staff faces; simple tasks such as issuing overdue
notices can t be performed without more staff
members. Overdue notices save forgetful students a
great deal of money but haven't been issued in more
than seven years.
Another dilemma the library faces is that it has to
use what few work-study students it has in place of
needed classified staff. This is not common practice in
most libraries, Shipman said.
Shipman fears that if the federal government cuts
the work-study program, the library would have to
resort to extreme measures such as closing at 5 p.m.
daily.
Within the past six years there has been a decrease
in work-study hours from 10-12 hours a week to six to
eight hours a week, he said. This cut places yet
another strain on library supervisors in that they must
train and hire more students.
Shipman stressed the need for staffing above all
and said automation would only enhance the grossly
neglected staff-performed services.
"The library is not unique in its funding pro
blems. however, it is unique in the depth of each facet
of those problems." Shipman said.
In order to understand the real depth of those pro
blems one must take a closer look at the actual finan
cial situation.
The library was established in 1881 as a result of a
gift from Henry Villard. then president of Northern
Pacific Railroad.
Even though that first contribution toward the
library came as a private donation, the library today
exists primarily on state funds. Private funds fulfill
only a fraction of the library’s financial needs. The
library's shortcomings range in the millions.
In 1985 the library budget was $2.3 million below
the ARL median. One million dollars of that money
should have gone to wages and salaries. Overall, the
library ranked 98th in total expenditures among ARL
libraries.
"The state isn't paying its fair share," Shipman
said.
He acknowledged that the library system is not
the only state institution that desperately needs
money, but it is a serious case, he said.
Shipman has the chance, once each fiscal year, to
submit a budget proposal to the provost. This year’s
proposal consisted of a total of $470,000. $270,000 of
which would go to 15 new classified positions and
one professional law librarian position.
The remaining $200,000 would pay for new
Turn to Library, Page 12
University law school to house
public-interest law conference
By B.J. Thomsen
Of I hr Knwralil
I he University law school soon
will lx? the site of the largest en
vironmental law conference in the
country, according to Richard Met/, a
second-year law student at the
l Iniversity.
Metz came from Boulder. Colo., to
the University to study in the "most
comprehensive environmental law
program in the country." he said.
The tilth annual Western Public in
terest law Conference, sponsored by
the Western Natural Resources Law
Clinic and Land. Air. Water, will con
sist of a series of 23 workshops March
I3 tr>. Metz said.
Both sponsors are associated with
the University law school's en
vironmental law program.
LAW is an independent student en
vironmental research group, and
WNRl.C ‘‘represents clients
throughout the west in environmental
litigation and administrative
appeals."
Sixty speakers, many of them na
tionally known, will address en
ironmental law issues at the
weekend - long conference. All
speakers at the conference are experts
in their respective fields. Metz said.
Keynote speaker for tin; conference.
David Brower, was executive director
of tin? Sierra Club for 1H years, found
ed friends of the Karth and most
recently has founded the Karth Island
Institute to promote environmental
thinking on a global basis.
He's a real visionary who likes to
stick to his ideals, said Metz, who
described Brower further as
"probably the most distinguished en
vironmental activist around today."
Dave Foreman, head of Karth First!
and former chief lobbyist for the
Wilderness Society in Washington.
DC., also will speak at the
conference*.
Earth First!, founded by Foreman,
is an organization dedicated to acts of
civil disobedience in defense of the
natural environment. Metz said.
Metz described the organization's
actions as "guerrila theater civil
disobedience tactics."
Foreman spends his time traveling
around the country participating in
nonviolent civil disobedience and last
summer was arrested in Yellowstone
National Park when he and others
dressed up as grizzly bears. Metz
said.
Both Brower and Foreman have
been instrumental in shaping and
creating much environmental law
that exists today through extensive
lobbying efforts, but neither have for
mal law degrees. Metz said
"The interesting thing about the
conference is that both Brower and
Foreman have been very critical of the
mainstream environmental groups.
They perceive people in the Sierra
(Mub and tin; National Wildlife
Federation as being too willing to
compromise their environmental
values." he said. "Many of those
groups. . .will Ih; represented by pro
minent attorneys at this conference."
I he whole spectrum of en
vironmental stands will be
represented, he said.
Even attorneys working lor govern
ment agencies and defending the
government in environmental suits
have been invited.
Also speaking will be Charles
Wilkinson, a University law professor
who writes and lectures on natural
resource issues, and Brock Evans,
vice president of tin* National
Audubon Society.
The workshops will deal with a
variety of environmental issues in
cluding toxic waste, old-growth
forests, citizen activists. Alaska and
Native American rights. They are fret;
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