Library needed

In your November 29 issue, I read that the Faculty Senate is considering closing Founders Memorial Library for an additional two weeks during the Christmas Break. I then called the graduate division to confirm what I had read. It does seem that this may happen.

The anthropology department holds its comprehensive examinations for the Masters program the first week of January before classes resume. Traditionally, anthropology majors spend the entire Christmas Break studying for them. This requires access to library books, journals and reference materials. I will take my comprehensive exams this coming January and had planned to use the library the entire vacation period. There must be other graduate students in other programs with similar plans for library use during the break. Surely there is some other way to reduce expenses at this university without hacking away at the heart and soul of this academic institution. I can hardly prepare adequately for these exams without the use of the library and I am far too busy now with course work to do all the preparation before the break.

I do hope other graduate students will speak out against such a decision before it is too late.

K. Ann Parsons

Anthropology

Graduate Student