Tag Archives: Art Library

EVENT
The Library Wants to Talk to You

Speaking of student controversy re: Art Library, library resources, and student input (or lack thereof so far) in all of these decisions, Olin librarian Diane Klare sends word of a conversation happening next Thursday and Friday. Yes, there is free food; yes, you have to sign up in advance; and yes, spots are limited:

The library is looking for students to participate in one of two focus groups discussions to help gather information about current library resources and services.  Free food will be provided for those who join in.  You can sign up for either Thursday evening, April 19, at 6:00 (which includes dinner) or Friday afternoon, April 20, at 12:30 (which includes lunch).  These conversations should take no more than an hour.  Space is limited, so we can only take the first 15 students who respond. To join either group, or if you would like further information, please contact Andrew Klein at aklein01(at)wesleyan(dot)edu on or before Tuesday, April 17.

Dates: Thursday, April 19; Friday, April 20
Time: 6:00 pm, 12:30 pm respectively
Place: TBA when you apply.
Cost: Art Library(????)

Sign the Petition, Save the Art Library

So, perhaps saving the Art Library isn’t as easy as the title of this post suggests. But, shouldn’t it be that easy? Whether you’re an Art History Major, lover of quiet study spaces, Art Library employee, or just generally don’t appreciate the Administrative oversight of student, faculty, and staff voices in the Art Library’s imminent closure, please sign the petition for the reasons outlined below:


1)  Keep the Art Library in the Center for the Arts; keep art books near art class. Just as Hall-Atwater, Shanklin, and Exley surround the Science Library’s collection, the Center for the Arts should surround the Art Library’s collection, creating a hub for Arts’ students.

2) The Art Library is a sanctuary for academic study that the Administration cannot replicate within Olin. This cherished study space fosters a unique, close-knit, and intellectual community not only for students of the Arts, but for all students.

3) The Art Library has in its collection some of Wesleyan’s most valuable items, which may not receive adequate oversight if moved to Olin. We must continue to prioritize the Arts by housing the collection in a physical space which appropriately celebrates its purpose, rather than confine the collection to a monolithic repository.

4) The closure of the Art Library and consolidation of the collection will result in the loss of a dozen student jobs. This reduction of student jobs proves particularly alarming on an already competitive campus with regard to student employment.

5) We, as members of the Wesleyan community, assert our right to be involved in Art Library decision-making. This plan is a purely administrative decision that is going forward without any input from students, faculty, or staff.

Meeting Tonight at 10pm to Save Faculty Health Benefits and the Art Library

From Anonymous ’13:

Are you concerned that adjunct faculty losing their health benefits and the closure of the art library will negatively affect our academic community? If so, tonight’s your night to learn more, and maybe do something about it! Three separate community meetings are being held in the University Organizing Center (UOC) tonight at 10pm to discuss these issues, as well as plans to bring guerilla street art to WesFest. Whether you’re just interested in one of these topics or all three, the UOC is the place to be (tonight at 10pm).

In case you’re really bad at reading things:
When: 10pm, tonight
Where: UOC, 190 High
Why: SAVE FACULTY HEALTH BENEFITS AND THE ART LIBRARY, SAVE THE WORLD!

EVENT
Help Save the Art Library!

Virgil Taylor ’15 synthesizes student concern about the Administration’s planned closure of the Art Library in the poster below. For the longer version of the skinny presented here, check out this fine piece of journalism.

Last week, a group of students met to discuss how to present our concerns to the Administration. We just wanted to let y’all know that this meeting will become a weekly occurrence with another meeting Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. in the UOC.

Date: Tuesday, April 10th
Time: 10 p.m.
Place: UOC

EVENT
Art Library Closing/Consolidation Meeting (info upd8ed)

EDIT: I just talked with a library employee who gave a perspective + some info I found worth including in this post – click through the jump to see my additions.

So, how about that whole Art Library closing thing? Were you invited to that party? No? Didn’t even hear about it? Had enough questions? Read on:

That’s right, y’all: it’s been brought to my attention, through email and face2face conversation, that apparently our administration is moving forward with a plan to close the Art Library at its current location by 2014, consolidate its holdings into Olin (where some of them already reside), and as part of the process weed out quite a few books. Here are a few reasons (some) students and faculty are opposed to this plan going forward:

  • The current plan seems to be to have the Art Library’s holdings moved to Olin by May 2014.
  • The Art Library has some of Wesleyan’s most valuable items in its collection, with special oversight that they may not receive in Olin. Also, having the Art Library in the Center for the Arts seems intuitively appealing.
  • A dozen student jobs will be removed, and the time and energy spent on moving the books is likely to add more to the plates of people who already have work to do.
  • Maybe the most important point is that this plan appears to be going forward without any input from students. If you’re not okay with decisions about resources we use being made without asking (or even announcing, really), this might be a meeting worth attending.

The points above are assembled from information provided directly by students, including current Art Library employees and a student representative on the Faculty Library Committee (so, indirectly, library staff and faculty as well).

Interested? Attend the response planning meeting Tuesday (tomorrow) night, at 10 PM in the UOC (between Beta and Eclectic). Maybe you think the planned consolidation is actually a good idea. If so, your perspective might be even more valuable. Also, if you’d like to be included in the email discussion, feel free to email yours truly.

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