Library Crunch

Mr Sage: The unresolved question as far as as Victoria is concerned is whether we are doing enough to educate the public. I do not think it is any use getting up on soap boxes about the cuts for this year, Those decisions have been made and we have simply go to live with them, but educating the public about the consequences to the university of continued reductions is very important.

Salient: The next quinquennium is going to be fairly decisive for Victoria. If these cuts continue, particularly considering the already lean situation that Victoria is in, what do you think will be the future of the University and the Library?

The Library should be able to support the University's teaching and research programme. However, the University will become quite a different sort of place — more functional. Whether the cuts will be sustained by reducing student numbers or by reducing areas in which the University teaches, it is hard to say, but either of these will, of course, directly affect the Library and it will respond.

Could you elaborate in some detail about the cuts to services which might eventuate if in the next quinquennium there were further cuts, particularly to students' ability to obtain books or seating places?

No, I think we are talking about services and books at the moment. The quinquennium grants don't directly affect accommodation. Victoria has, of course, serious accommodation problems, but these are dealt with slightly differently, by a different programme - block grants. There are a great many options as far as services and books are concerned. It is difficult to say that this option or that option will definitely be adopted, but some of these options might be considered. For instance, the supply of new books will obviously be affected. There also might not be enough books for students in some courses. The latest publications which keep people up to date in a subject on which the students are embarking upon research might have to be cut. Also some subscriptions might have to be cancelled, which will affect particularly advanced students and staffs research.

This will mean that the Library will change to be more like a small college library. Now that's on the books side. The effect of a reduced grant on the research side is fairly obvious. The question of how long we stayed open would be under discussion - whether we could continue to maintain the various service points in the Library; we operate, for instance, 3 closed reserves. Can we continue to maintain the inter-loan service which is growing all the time. We had something like 10-12,000 interloan transactions last year. It's a very expensive service.

The maintenance of an adequate catelogue record is very important. We try and offer a subject way into the content of each course, that is "course titles"; that is just the standard practice but it is cery costly. However, I emphasize that these are just possible alternatives, rather than saying that this is going to happen.

Do you think that there is any specific way [unclear: tha] University could be fighting back against the [unclear: ge] merit cuts to funding?

I'd like to see very formal statements as to [unclear: what] short or long term effects are, how the [unclear: Univers] going to adapt, what proposals the [unclear: University a] nistration is considering, and this [unclear: information a] be made available to the University as a [unclear: whole,] made available by those responsible in the [unclear: Univ] to the public.

What do you think of VUWSA's call for a [unclear: Nativ] day of strike action on July 26th?

I don't know about strike action but I must [unclear: say] the idea of an open day of discussion on [unclear: eduva] very much appeals to me. I think it is [unclear: highly c] 'mendable and only hope that the Library [unclear: can p cipate].

Any further comments?

I think there is a lot of support around the [unclear: Uni] for the Library and I only hope that the [unclear: Univer] ministration is aware of it. I was very [unclear: heartene] meeting of the AUT recently when the [unclear: questio] levying staff arose; it was specifically [unclear: mention] some people thay they would be happy if [unclear: they] that the money obtained would go to the [unclear: Libra] think that's an indication of the grass roots [unclear: sup]

Get in on the Act

An education forum was held in the Union Hall at lunchtime on Tuesday July 10th. Owing to the unavailability of the intended speaker (the Vice-Chancellor had only returned from the States the day before and was attending a meeting of the Vice-Chancellors and Dean's Committee), we were treated to stirring tirades from our very own President Andrew Tees, and the Fightback Campaign Organiser, Simon Wilson.

Andrew Tees spoke first, warning the meeting of the dangers of passive acceptance of the education cuts. "I see a double threat" he said, "The spectre of restricted finances to the university system, and the ramifications of the new Tertiary Study Grant."

He went on to speak of the tightening of criteria for fees bursaries (those BA students re-sitting courses will have to pay the full fees for their 'extra' courses), and the clampdown on supplementary A and B bursary entitlement. There is to be a 5 year restriction on the new TSG, and this will clearly disadvantage those students wishing to take double degrees, or to undertake postgraduate study.

"The university will eventually be forced to raise it's fees" he predicted, and pointed out that those students presently on the abated bursary who were smugly anticipating a rise in income (from $19 to $23) would find that fees increases would result in a real income drop.

Tees finished on the note that "education is vital to everyone in the Community, and must be treated with the respect it deserves", and urged all staff and students to support the activities planned for July 26th.

Simon Wilson then took the stand and informed the meeting of campaign progress to date both in Wellington and around the country. "Our campaign is not simply a university campaign" he said, emphasizing the vital need to arouse public awareness and support for the Education Fightback.

We were reminded of the media coverage which accompanied the student protest in Auckland when 58 students were arrested, and that given to a similar protest in Otago, when 400 students staged a sit-in in the central City. This was contrasted with the lack of coverage given to the VUWSA march on Parliment steps last Wednesday, "It's a sad indication of what makes news in this country" he contested, the [unclear: inferenc] that only unlawful protest is newsworthy.

Simon then moved on to inform us of the [unclear: ac] planned between now and July 26th, National [unclear: f] ion Day. These include a forum next [unclear: Wednesday] the current situation in schools, a fund-raising [unclear: c] this Sunday, and a rock concert the following [unclear: F]

Simon then outlined the plans for July 26th (see elsewhere in the supplement) and finished [unclear: t] iterating the necessity for more students to [unclear: becc] involved in the fightback campaign. Those [unclear: peop] ready working on the campaign are fully [unclear: commi] and they need all the help that they can get. [unclear: He] ged anyone with half an hour to spare to [unclear: drop in] the Studass office or to the Campaign room, [unclear: to l] with leafleting, selling stickers and buttons, [unclear: mou] posters etc.

The main thing to emerge from this forum [unclear: wa] fact that more helpers are desperately needed [unclear: to] on the campaign. Those already involved are [unclear: cat] a tremendous load. These are matters which [unclear: aff] student, and this means You! Become involved education fightback Now!

Jessica Wilson.

Avanti!