A missing library
By Editorial
Most students couldn't imagine the prospect of changing a load of laundry while checking out a library book. Call it killing two birds with one stone, or, consider it the gist of the potential blunder that may result once the university decides how to relocate Orradre Library's services.
The Santa Clara reported last week that the university has no distinct plans as to how library services will be provided once Orradre closes and construction on the new library begins. Though it's one of the last options, there had been word that books may be stored across different campus locations - one of which being residence hall basements.
Other reported possible sites for accessing books include Kenna and Nobili Hall (both of which depend on the completion of other construction plans), or some off-campus storage facility, which would require transportation to reach.
As it stands, the university doesn't have any sort of large, nearby facility to distribute books. Nor do they have any proposed quiet area where students can study â€" and that's a problem.
It's the school's responsibility to provide a library-like area similar to Orradre: not some dispersed system where students have to lace up running shoes to check out a book for research.
Picture this: "OK, I've got my call number. Oh darn, the Journal of Communication for 2003 is in the reference stacks somewhere down El Camino Real. If only the stupid case study were in the Journal for Pyschology, then I'd only have to walk to Nobili."
Again, students have the right to have an on-campus system equivalent to Orradre. We pay how much again for tuition? Granted this is a difficult position for the university, trying to find space for thousands of books as well as many computers and additional areas for studying. But it's grown worrisome at this point. The school is gearing up to start construction and they don't know what to do with arguably the most important service provided to students.
The solution to this problem? The university should to sacrifice somewhere like the Brass Rail; somewhere that can hold a sizable portion of what is going to be transported from Orradre. If not, shuttle services should be provided to the San Jose library a few miles away.
It would be easy for a career administrator to brush off long-term plans since they will see progress in several years. Unfortunately, students who spend only four here get short-changed.