Daniela Bell, Graduate Labor Union president, sent University President John T. Casteen III a letter yesterday asking him to reverse library staff cutbacks and reductions in library hours.
This fall the University library staff eliminated 80 student positions due to budget cuts.
The letter, which Bell wrote on behalf of GLU and otherconcerned graduatestudents, lamented the effects the library cuts are having on graduate students and on the University in general.
The letter mentioned particular concerns of graduate students who work at the libraries and have lost their jobs.
In addition to making staff cuts, Alderman Library will close two hours earlier, at 10 p.m., and no libraries will be open on weekend mornings.
The cuts, which University Librarian Karin Wittenborg announced last month, come as a result of the state budget crisis that has led to substantial cuts in the University's public funding.
"Cutting the library really hurts the teaching mission of the University and the research mission of the University," Bell said.
Library officials did not feel as though the library had been disproportionately targeted for cuts, library spokesperson Charlotte Scott said.
"Everyone is in the same boat; this is a statewide budget crises," Scott said. "No one is happy about it."
Bell acknowledged that the budget crisis necessitates cuts in University spending, but said the University's libraries are too important to be the targets of some of the first cutbacks.
"It's our position that the library is the last place that should have its budget cut," she added.
Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, said the library budget was reduced by 4.6 percent in the most recent round of cuts, like all of the University's other non-academic departments. Academic departments received a 4.35 percent cut, she said.
Wittenborg made the ultimate decision to reduce staff and cut hours of operation, Sheehy said.
Bell said the library reductions have harmed graduate students' ability to conduct research.
"Graduate students tend to use alternative hours in the library," she said.
Due to their teaching responsibilities, graduate students often have to conduct library research late at night and on weekends, the times when the library cut its hours, she added.
The GLU letter said that many graduate students also have lost jobs at the library as a result of the staff reductions.
"The University has a responsibility to ensure that its graduate students, who do so much of the very valuable teaching and research, make a livable wage," the letter said.
At Gov. Mark R. Warner's request, the University is submitting plans to the state by Sept. 20 for even deeper cuts.
If the state cuts the University's funding once again, the library may be forced to further reduce staff and hours, Sheehy said.
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