Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 13. June 5 1977

Library Cuts

Library Cuts

At the Library Committee meeting on May 28th, the main business centered on the presentation of the results of the Library Cut backs Survey, with the main aim of the student reps, being to get three main proposals endorsed by the committee as recommendations to be put to Prof. Board.

The proposals were that for the remainder of 1977:
1.That the Library be reopened on Friday nights, two weeks prior to and during, all examination periods.
2.That the Library hours be extended in Sundays to 1pm — 11pm inclusive
3.That the Library remain open until 11pm on Mondays. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thrusdays during the August vacations.

Neil Gray presented the results and these proposals to the committee on behalf of the Students Association. Neil then proceeded to try, (although getting the main issue clouded by his rhetoric), to answer queries and questions from the academics who were obviously fencing around to try and find some way out of handling the issue.

Several points emerged from the ensuing discussion:
1.That only $3,500 would be saved (out of a total of $33,000 saved in cuts) by closing the Library on Friday nights and after 6 pm during the vacation.
2.The Library Committee members felt that they had no power to recommend or alter the 1977 finances for the Library.
3.Committee members also felt that seeing as Prof Board had just made the decision to cut the services (favouring to keep its credibility intact) it would not reverse its policy for mere student wishes. The following motions were then passed with student Reps dissenting.

Moved Prof. O.F. McKenzie seconded Ms S.R. Bell.

That the Student's Association report on Library usage be received and that this Committee expresses it's appreciation to those who prepared it.

That while it is sympathetic to student requests for extended access to the Library, especially proceeding final examinations, it nevertheless thinks that given the finance available to the Library this year the Library Committee cannot consider further extension of opening hours in 1977. That the question of the cost of providing extended opening hours in relation to the financing of book and periodical purchases in and after 1978 be referred to the Book Budgeting Sub-Committee.

Carried.

To me this indicates that the Library Committee members were not willing to handle this contentious issue, and were unwilling to lay their principles on the line.

The whole meeting was pivoted around the staff attempting to find a way out, so that their arguments were set in rather exaggerated form of how and in what way Prof. Board would react and the consequences of that upon Council. The motions providing a very convenient way out.

It is interesting to note that the last point on the agenda was a discussion concerning an extra $10,000 needed to upgrade poor lighting and inadequate shelving on Floor 1 (periodicals). Come on. What are priorities! That money may come form a different fund — or does it?

The next step for the Students Association is to take the Library hours issue to University Council, with some direct action to show our determination, before then.

La H.

Give a Stuff! If you are feeling hard up or going heavily into the red, then come to the bursaries forum, Tuesday lunchtime in the Union Hall to hear Russell Marshall expose the fraud of the STB.

Lost: Parts of a Rice Cooker — lost during the International Student Congress, 7 10 May, aroung the Union Building. Please return to Studass.

WMSSA Lunchtime filmshow. "The cost of a cup of tea" will be shown as well as "Indonesian Boomerang". Wednesday, 8 June 12.30 — 1.30. E 006 Lecture Block.