Letters to the editor
New library's sense of urgency misguided
To the editor:
We are writing in response to the editorial "A missing library" in the May 27 edition of The Santa Clara. We are in complete agreement with the fundamental premise you express: The university has an obligation to provide students adequate access to the information resources and services now housed in Orradre, such as books, periodicals, reference services, study space and computer labs, during the construction of the new Library for the 21st Century. Indeed, neither you nor we can imagine a university-level education without such resources.
We disagree, however, with the sense of urgency conveyed about the lack of definitive plans for providing those interim services. The inventory of available space on campus changes rapidly, as construction processes begin or end. Locations chosen for interim services far in advance of the new building's actual construction might no longer be available when they were needed, or much more desirable facilities might have become available.
The university is not "gearing up" for construction of the new library. As reported in The Santa Clara May 20, the absolute earliest interim facilities would be needed is fall of 2005, which allows more than 15 months for planning to provide such facilities, preparing the interim sites, and informing students how to make use of library resources and services during the construction period. Any delays in raising funds to cover the full construction cost of the new library will extend that date even further into the future.
Santa Clara facilities personnel, Orradre Library staff and the architects for the new building have examined several alternatives, any of which would meet student and faculty needs during the construction period. Once a firm construction start date is determined available space on campus will be surveyed and an interim plan finalized that provides the services needed while minimizing impact on other campus activities.
The library has sought, and will continue to seek, input from the campus community to be sure the needs for interim space are fully understood. For example, the recent library survey completed by more than 200 students specifically asked which services were essential and which were optional for interim space. The responses will be very helpful when detailed planning for those services begins.
For the record, there is no expectation that library materials will be stored off-campus or in multiple locations on campus. As reported in your previous issue, virtually all the books and other physical library materials will be kept in the Automated Retrieval System. Students will be able to request those materials through the OSCAR library catalogue and pick them up from a single circulation point. The exception will be a subset of the reference collection, course reserve materials, and current periodicals, which will be housed in one of the interim locations.
We would be happy to meet with or answer questions from concerned students about the construction period and our plans for interim services.
Elizabeth Salzer,
University Librarian;
Ron Danielson,
Chief Information Officer