Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 5. March 30 1981
Bleak prospects for library
Bleak prospects for library
The university library is one of the real pivot points of the university campus. It is a valuable resource for students in many capacities. It supplies us with a mind-boggling election of books and periodicals, slides, records and tapes, as well as a variety of services such as the interloan and request systems. The library is also the place to go to do a little study or relax with a book or Salient copy, or look at the current art exhibition or perhaps listen to a record (when installation of new equipment is completed). The view of the harbour from its windows can be stunning enough to warrant a visit on some days too.
Funds Don't Reflect Need
The library's importance is not always acknowledged by those who decide on its funding, and in the past it has suffered cutbacks in its budget and staff allocation. Victoria Council still gives a smaller proportion of its budget to the library, than any other university in New Zealand, according to student numbers. This year is generally seen as being a little brighter, although it is doubtful that prospects for the future are as brilliant. Mr Sage, the head librarian, has given figures that the University Council grant for 1981 is $760,000, for the purchase of books and journals, and general library expenses. Accounting for NZ's inflation and the devaluation of the NZ dollar against foreign currency, this year's grant constitutes a modest 26.6% increase on the 1980 grant. In addition, a reserve fund of $150,000 has been made available, but as it is not known whether this type of grant will be repeated, it may only serve as a cushion for funding deficiencies in the remaining four years of the university's quinquennial grant. Another $30,000 is set aside to be used specifically for filling gaps in the present collection which have been created by a lack of finance over the past few years. Finally, a supplementary allowance to account for inflation carried in 1980 will be made. It is not certain at this stage how generous the supplement will be, but it won't be in excess of 60% of the costs created by inflation.
These figures all mean that at least there will be no cutbacks in services offered this year and that a reasonable growth in library stock can be expected. Mr Sage believes that the standard minimum of 18,000 new volumes each year for a healthy library growth should be comfortably exceeded. A lamentable feature of the budget is that 30% consists of non-recurring money, that is money which was unspent in various areas of the university in 1980, and allocated elsewhere in 1981. This 30% cannot be guaranteed to be found in subsequent years' library budgets.
Staff Cuts by 1982
The greatest problem for the library this year, and probably in years to follow, which the budget has not been able to remedy, is in the lack of staff. In fact the situation has been improved since last year, with the unfreezing of 4 of 5 positions initially frozen in 1976, at the end of last year and the beginning of 1981. But we may all wonder whether this improvement could be reversed by 1982, as university councils throughout NZ seek ways to implement the government's demand that 150 non- academic staff positions be removed over the next 3 years. Alison McCloud, the library's head of circulation, has pointed out that although the demand for services, especially in terms of book issues, has continually increased over the years, no extra staff have been acquired to compensate for the extra work involved. There are not the staff available to allow for the introduction of undergraduate interloan requests or telephone information requests, and staff are increasingly tied to their desks to cope with paper work, rather than being able to move out into the library to act in a more advisory capacity.
Technology Erodes Working Conditions
A centralised computer cataloguing system could reduce the more mechanical work of librarians, but it is unlikely that finance will permit such a scheme for a long while. The introduction of benefits from a technological age are not necessarily labour saving, as Alison McCloud has discovered with the new electronic exit system in the library. With its arrival, one staff position was cut, believed to be no longer necessary, but it is quite apparent that a staff member is still needed to supervise the system and put the books through the new processes involved.
More Space Needed
The library is fast moving into problems of shelving new stock, which is to the detriment of all library users and especially students who use study areas. Already, student seats have been lost this year on Floor 5 to make room for new shelves.
This year should see a real growth in the number of books purchased by the library and the maintenance of its services but this is being accompanied by an increase in work for staff, but no long term plans can seriously be considered because the uncertainty of its future funding.
Marina Skinner