Oregon daily emerald., January 13, 1989, Image 1

• Campaign legislation, Pi** 4
• Dancing against oppression, Page 9
• Ducks blow it, Psgs 13
• Brickell gets playful. Page 8
Oregon Daily_ v
Emerald
Friday. January 13, 1989
Eugene. Oregon
Volume 90. Number 79
Future looks bright
for new city library
By Cami Swanson
Emerald Reporter
Library officials. Eugene City
Council members and a
Pankow Development Co. offi
cial were pleased by recent pro
gress in the city's quest for a
new public library.
"1 think we're on the right
track.” said councilorRoger
Kutan. "I'm convinced we've
taken a hard look at the alterna
tives.
"Now we are asking voters.
'What do you think?’ ” Rutan
said.
The city council voted 4-3
Wednesday to place a measure
concerning the new library on
Desire for new
library dates
to early 1980s
By Maile Field
Emerald Contributor
The need for new community
library space in F.ugene has
been a hot topic for almost a
decade.
City studies dating to the ear
ly 1980s document a desire to
see library expansion but noth
ing materialized until after for
mer Mayor Brian Obie took of
fice in 1985.
His five-point agenda did not
include specific library plans
but a proposal was developed
when Pankow Development
Co., a California group, first re
quested city consideration of its
new building plan. Tho pro
posed structure was to be built
at the corner of Eighth Avenue
and Willamette Street.
Turn to History, Page 6
the March 28 ballot. The meas
ure will ask the public to ap
prove an Eighth Avenue anti
Willamette Street location and
a serial levy to cover the li
brary's operating costs.
Although Kutan voted
against the measure, he said he
supports the council decision.
Rutan said the reason he initial
ly opposed the action was l>e
cause he wanted the measure
limited to the serial levy.
The annual amount of the
three-year serial levy was not
decided by the council on Wed
nesday. but Rutan said "it was
just an oversight" and would
be decided soon.
Another councilor was not as
pleased with the outcome of
Wednesday's meeting. Free
man Hoimer said he thought
the council should have agreed
to the Eighth Avenue and Wil
lamette Street location during
Wednesday's meeting.
"I believe (the council) could
and should have agreed with
Hankow.” Hoimer said. "The
council has every legal authori
ty to make that decision."
Hankow Development Co. is
proposing to include the library
on the first and second floors of
its 13-story building, which
will begin construction in ]une.
Hoimer. who opposes the
idea of a serial levy, said the
money for the library's operat
ing costs instead could be taken
out of Eugene Water and Elec
tric Board (EWEB) revenues.
Currently, the city collects a
percentage of EWEB's profits in
lieu of a property tax.
"We don't really need a seri
al levy." Hoimer said. "It’s not
a permanent solution.”
Library officials said they are
pleased to hear the council ac
Turn to Library, Page b
Ptiaalii bi Hill Hainan
University archivist Keith Richard keeps relics
from the school’s past, and several surprises can
be found in his cluttered office.
Ticketed off
When sommne parked a car in front of the driveway at 1858 Harris St., the resi
dents there were not amused. After calling the police. Paula Keith, hmra Hull and Bri
an McMinn. along with two others expressed their displeasure by “decorating" the
car When Community Service Specialist Collin Williams arrived, however, the deco
rations came off. But a note —■ and a ticket — were left instead.
Photos by lames Marks
Richard keeps an eye on the past
By Denise Clifton
Emerald Reporter
In the far corner of Fenton Hall, through a dingy
white door and up a narrow, box -cluttered stairway,
the persistent research-bound student will discover the
office of Keith Richard. University archivist.
An archivist must be a person who loves history,
and Richard s office is a testimonial to his personal
fascination with the past University artifacts clutter
the room, including a turn-of-the-century stapler,
which does not use staples, and an original University
seal which once was used to stamp the official school
emblem on Kith century documents.
Although it was 10 a.in., the ancient grandfather
clock in the corner chimed six times as Richard ex
plains the work of an archivist.
“The purpose of the archives as established by the
state of Oregon law is that all of the paper that is pro
duced at the University at public expense belongs to
the people and must be available to the people,'" he
said, adding that all University documents produced
are public records.
University records organized and preserved in the
archives include administrative policies, departmental
memos and student files from 187l> to the present.
Some records are kept for one year and some are re
tained permanently in residence hall basements.
Richard’s job is to categorize the documents effi
ciently and to store them where they can be found
quickly.
All records, with the exception of those protected
by student confidentiality laws, are available to any
one wishing to research aspects of the University.
Richard said people as far away as New York have re
quested huge amounts of historical information which
ho researched and sent to them for little or no charge.
”If 1 have requests from people within the Univer
sity community, they will get my time first, and then
the outside patrons will be scheduled second because
my personal commitment has to lie to the institution.”
Richard said. "But I cannot deny access to anyone tie
cause their taxes pay for it.”
Averaging 26 phone calls a day, Richard stays
busy with researching out-of-town requests, organiz
ing new records and assisting students with their re
search projects.
"One of my frustrations is that I have no perma
nent help.” Richard said. "When you consider that we
have 150 offices on campus producing paper, it is hard
for me to keep on top of it." he said. "Through experi
ence you learn where to put the emphasis and where
not to put the emphasis. But my backlog is tremen
Turn to Richard, Page 11