University of Virginia Library

Minor League Library

"We have a major league faculty but still a
minor league library," was the conclusion of
the University's Library Committee when
they presented their annual report to the
President last June. Although a shift from
previous financial neglect to capital support
occurred in 1965, the library still faces serious
problems which all of the schools of the
University. The graph below indicates the
unfavorable position of the library to those in
other universities in the Southeast:

The University's library system does even
worse on a national scale. The library ranks
26th in the nation in total volumes, but 45th
in volumes added, 43rd in stuff, 43rd in
expenditures for books and binding, 50th in
total salaries, and 50t in total budget. If we
continue to lag in expenditures, we will
undoubtedly fall far below many other lesser
institutions.

The report of the committee notes several
improvements in the operation of the library
over the past few years: "New department
heads have been appointed in acquisitions,
cataloguing, and serials, who appear to have a
chance to give the kind of service long
needed. The building has been tidied up,
photo duplication service is more efficient,
and the check-out system seems to be
smoother than it used to be. Staff salaries and
the book budget have risen."

The weaknesses, however, far outweigh
these meager improvements, making the
library possibly "the weakest part of the
University's educational program." The key
to improvement is obviously money for a
variety of materials and programs. It is
distressing to discover that Georgia spends
almost $2,000,000 a year for books while
Virginia (including law and medicine) puts
less than half that figure into new books. The
committee admonishes us to take these
figures seriously, "because they will help to
explain why we still cannot get many books
that we want - why we have made so little
progress in accumulating books for the
humanities and social science reading rooms;
why we have not even made a beginning on a
collection for an undergraduate library."

A library is an important part of any
educational institution, for excellence in
academics is dependent on an efficient,
dynamic library with abundant collections
and expanding facilities. Although the need
for more books is a major dilemma, there are
other pressing demands that must be met for
the library to climb up to the standards of the
rest of the educational program of the
University.

Substantial sums of money are needed for
more bindings, more staff, and higher salaries
to attract top personnel. Also the building
program has been greatly delayed. The
Western Wing of the library, a Science
Technology Information Center, and an
Undergraduate Library "should receive one of
the highest priorities in the University's plan
of development."

Anyone who has visited Alderman Library
realizes that the necessity for its renovation is
obvious. Lighting and ventilation in most
parts of the building are totally inadequate.
Other deficiencies are crowding, uncomfortable seats, noise, visual distraction,
and, perhaps most importantly, the inability
of the student to find the materials for which
he is searching. These weaknesses almost
make Alderman Library completely
unfunctional, rather a labyrinth of dark, dank
passages more suitable for the cave club than
for scholarly pursuits.

If the University of Virginia is to be the
"capstone" of higher education in the state its
library must be able to support the research
of graduate students, not merely the term
papers of its undergraduates.

The authorities in Richmond must be
convinced that funds for Alderman Library
have an extremely high priority as far as the
University's administration is concerned. And
if the money to save the library is not
forthcoming from Richmond then other
sources, such as the alumni and the federal
government must be persuaded. Certainly
some alumni have already shown their
concern, most notably C. Waller Barrett, but
more gifts are badly needed.

If we are to continue to compare ourselves
in a favorable light with the best in the
nation, we must bolster our library system
with essential and very basic monetary
support.