News Report #3
“Closures loom for UA libraries”
Nathan Mitchell, The Arizona Daily Wildcat
02/02/09
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/02/02/News/Closures.Loom.For.Ua.Libraries-3607944.shtml
This story is an appropriate one concerning the current situation our economy is in. It seems even the libraries are affected by the downturn, which makes sense, because nothing really goes by unscathed. The libraries at the University at Arizona are the topic here, faced with the decision to either raise tuition or downsize one library and eliminate two more. The likely scenario will include both the libraries being cut and an increase in the money students pay. The fee which students currently pay is at $30 and will go up nearly $150 more than that. In addition to the libraries being cut, people will also be getting laid off at the university. It appears as the 15% cut which the government is enforcing is in a way a loan from the university, as 10% of the taken money is supposed to be given back at a later date. The cost of reopening one of the closed libraries is estimated to be about $50 million, so other alternatives need to be looked at. In addition to this disappointing news, the cuts are expected to continue in the years to come.
First of all I was surprised to find out how many different libraries this university had. I mean I know the University of Arizona has a good deal more students than us, but if they are closing this many libraries they probably have at least a few more, leaving them with a lot more than us at one point. On one end I can see where the government is coming from concerning their wanting to close the libraries. The economy has truly affected everyone, and maybe Arizona had a few too many libraries that were not fully being utilized. But to close them just to reopen them later seems like a dumb idea. The cost of reopening is astounding, and if they are truly planning on reopening the closed libraries as they have indicated, they should find ways to severely minimize the cost of doing so. To me it just seems like a whole bunch of wasted money in a time where we cannot afford to do so.
Kyle, I agree. If the cost of reopening a library is so high, you would think it would make more sense to downsize the library and decrease the maintenance costs rather than fully closing it down. It is sad to see the cut backs in the current economic situation, but this truly is a great example of how everyone is being affected. Thank you for posting this review, I have really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you found an article that related our current economic situation with how it is affecting libraries. I think you are right that closing the libraries is not the best idea. If it is making students fees go up considerably then why close them if it cost so much to re-open them? I also found it interesting that the University of Arizona had so many libraries, it seems they might not need so many.
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