Issue 139

Don't Close Our Library!

13th February 2006

Students have reacted angrily to an announcement by the university that the Natural Sciences Library on the university’s campus is to close.

The outlet primarily serves the Biology and Geography department but will shut in the summer of 2006. It has been running for 31 years and provides students with computer facilities as well as reading material.

“It is such a pity for future students that this library is closing,” said final year Geography student, R Power. “In my three years here, it’s been extremely useful in helping me do research for my course and it would be a shame to break the close-knit community Geography and Biology students are part of there.”

Current students are already planning to petition the university and encourage it to rethink the move. A demonstration is planned from Fulton House at 1 pm on Friday 17 February to lobby officials.

“If this goes ahead, it will have a massive effect on all science students,” said SU President, Becki McKinlay. “It’s not just about computer resources, but study space as well. The library is such a rich source of journals and textbooks and this is of necessity for Geography and Biology students as their degrees are heavily coursework based,” she continued. “Library facilities on campus are bad enough as it is and there’s no real reason to shut Natural Sciences. There’s a very good working relationship between the students there too – they all share books and support each other.”

Approval for the project has not yet been given, but early plans are to relocate the Natural Sciences Library and the Careers Centre to the Library & Information Centre. It is thought that a new 24-hour research store will then be opened off campus. Schools across the university will be consulted on what material this should contain.

Head of Library and Information Services Chris West, has pointed out that this change is necessary to modernise and develop the campus library facilities.

“The Natural Sciences Library move forms part of a larger series of moves which form part of the strategic plan for LIS,” he said. “Setting up a research store we hope will solve our worsening space problems and will allow us to make the Library and Information Centre an even more welcoming place, with a better distribution of study spaces throughout the building.

Hannah Thomas