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Show PACE 2 THE THUNDERBIRD THURSDAY MAY 7, 1987 Fred Bland, a semoi anguage maor Irom Monroe, Utah, searches in vain for a study spot in SUSC's Library. He's not as lucky as Belisario Provosie, (foreground), also senior language major from Santiago, Chile. a new Library is launched within next three to new Student officers will work to bring he Associated Students of Southern Utah are in quest of a new Library. As part of Library Awareness Week, the ASSUSC has set a goal to seek out $13 million for a new building. Whether it be through private funding and donations or through the state, they won't stop in their endeavors, until they have acquired all of the money that they so desperately need to fulfill their everlasting dream, say their leaders. "We need a new Library," said Monica Moe, ASSUSC president. "Seeking funding for the building is one of the ASSUSC's main objectives this year. Student government has to make arrangements to better things for the future." The SUSC Library is behind in every area when compared to the American Library Association standards, said SUSC Library Director Diana Graff. "These areas include the number of volumes, study spaces, periodicals, and the number of librarians and supporting staff that we have," she said. "As far as the Library's research facilities go, SUSC's falls short," said Liz Leisek, a senior theatre arts major. "I've had to make several trips to BYU and U of U to gather information for many projects, most importantly my senior thesis. Students have enough troubles researching, without having to spend extra time and money to get what they need." The Library is indeed behind ALA standards. SUSC Budget Request According to the the 1987-8- 8 Manual, SUSC's facility is lacking 145,000 volumes, facility campus 984 periodicals, 790 reading stations and a total of 12 librarians and support staff. "The research area at the Library is extremely ill equipped," said Tobin Atkinson, a junior theatrehistory major. "I guess there's always the possibility of using inter library loan, but why boost the ego of some other institution by receiving a request form for materials from SUSC because our school can't afford the adequate funding for an informative and efficient library," he said. It would cost an estimated $5 million just to purchase 145,000 additional volumes to bring SUSC to the 1986 standards proposed by the ALA, said Vice President for College Relations Michael D. Richards. The Library was $75,000 of the $554,000 reallocated to the college as a part of the Legislature's $11.4 million appropriation to SUSC, he said. The $75,000 for the library acquisitions fund for new books and periodicals, will increase the Library expenditure per student from $32, which was the lowest among SUSC's comparable institutions in 1985 to approximately $60 in 1987, said Richards. "Seventy five thousand is merely a drop in the bucket when compared to the $5 million in acquisitions that needs to be made. As a further comparison, it would cost $70,000 alone, just to bring the periodical section to the average size of similar collection of our peer institutions as assigned by the Board of Regents," he said. One of the several problems with the SUSC Library is .that it doesn't hav.e enough staff and, student years workers to meet up with the demands of the ALA, said Graff. "We haven't had a new position filled in the Library since 1969, when we only had 1,800 students. Now, with the same amount of staff as in 1969, we have 2,800 students that we have to look after," she said. Lack of library space has posed even more problems, said Richards. Even if the Library were granted the $5 million it needs, there would be no room to put any of the new materials. The Library, built to hold 120,000 volumes, is now overloaded with 130,000 volumes. By ALA standards, we should have a collection more than twice this size," he said. Stacey Stewart, a junior accounting major, more than agreed with Richards in that the Library is lacking in space. "Something has to be done to provide an adequate study area for students. Its hard to find a place to study during an ordinary week, but when finals come around, it's unreal," she said. The Library needs an additional 60,000 square feet in stack space to hold the 275,000 volumes required to meet ALA standards, said Richards. The space needed represents twice the size of the present building, said Graff. Moreover, there are only 170 reading stations available for the 2,800 students enrolled at SUSC. In terms of space for stacks, seating and technical service space, the present Library is far below the standards. "There's nothing more irritating to me than when (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3) |