Library suffers in wake of budget cuts

Empty shelves in The University library are a chilling reminder for some librarians of the recent budget cuts to state education funding. For students, the financial crisis will mean no new books and fewer subscriptions.

"Because of the cuts, the library will not be able to buy many 'critical books,'" said Sylverna Ford, dean of The University library. This blow, she said, will affect both students and faculty.

"It seems to me that when the library is not able to meet the needs of our students and faculty, it's like a double cut," Ford said. "It's a cut at the departmental level and in the library. It's like people are getting hit twice. I'm sure the budget cuts play a part in this. There's simply not enough money to go around. When there's less money, everyone suffers."

The library will spend 90 percent less on books this year than they traditionally do, said Ford. While the library usually spends between $200,000 and $300,000 for new materials, the last couple years, the library has relied primarily on private contributions. The past two years, they've collected about $30,000 for new books, only buying about 266 per year, Ford said.

But this year, the library doesn't have money for new books, Ford said. In July, the library paid its subscription fees for the upcoming year at a discounted price. That, along with the $158,000 cut in funding has dried up the library's budget.

The depleted budget will prove especially difficult for faculty members, said librarian Perveen Rustomfram.

"This year, we haven't had a book budget at all, she said. "It's going to be detrimental for recruitment and retention of new students and faculty. If faculty members cannot get the resources they need for their research, they may end up leaving because the research is necessary for their craft. We're already down to the bare bones with our periodicals. If we cut any more, it's really going to affect faculty needs."

Library assistant John Gwin stressed the need to have an updated library, which would allow faculty and students the tools they need to conduct their research.

"If we're not able to keep up with the newest material, it'll definitely affect research," he said. "And we don't have the money to buy new books."

But books won't be the only publications hurt by the financial troubles of The University. Many subscriptions, said Ford, will likely be discontinued, starting in January 2010.

"What the budget cuts affect is that we will not have more money for additional subscriptions," Ford said. "Some subscriptions we now receive will no longer be subscribed to us."

Channien Rogers, a senior majoring in nursing, said she wanted The University to allocate more funds to the library.

"The library should be able to buy new books. It is a library," she said. "I don't think it's fair."

Students will feel the loss of funding, said Ford, when they go to the library to check out a book only to find it missing. Although students can participate in the inter-library loan program, when libraries loan each other books, each time they do the library pays $25 to $30, Ford said.

"Students will have access to fewer materials on site, that's for sure," she said. "We're certainly attempting to acquire books through inter-library loans, but there are costs involved in that and a delivery charge we might have to pay."

William Porter, dean of students, said students should be surprised cuts will affect them.

"The University as a whole is having to deal with budget cuts and the likelihood of greater cuts," said Porter. "It's inevitable that these cuts are going to affect students in a lot of different ways. It's a sad situation we're in."