
Petition to Broaden Law Library Access for UCLA Non-Law Students
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Petition to Broaden Law Library Access for UCLA Non-Law Students
Whereas, ten of twelve UCLA campus libraries are now operating with reduced hours due to an extraordinary budget crisis, including being closed on Saturdays;
Whereas, Law Library policy currently excludes more than 30 non-law students from visiting on any one day, unless they have a special need which is verified in writing by a faculty advisor, regardless of how busy or empty the Law Library actually is;
Whereas, our law student fees fund the law library, which remains open;
Whereas, we favor sharing the resources we fund with others in the UCLA campus community;
Whereas, maintaining the limited-access policy is inappropriate during the current budget crisis and artificially divides the UCLA student body;
Whereas, excluding the rest of campus from our library during a time of extraordinary need is incompatible with the intellectual openness required to run a great public university;
Whereas, California has arguably the best public university system in the world;
Whereas, UCLA School of Law is inescapably part of the UC system, not a private, stand-alone institution;
Whereas, in difficult times, UCLA’s law school should lead the way in maintaining the overall strength of the UC system, rather than attempt to isolate itself further from that system;
Be it Resolved, by the following law school students, that at times when other campus libraries are closed because of budgetary constraints, that the law library should:
1) maintain a running count of occupancy during open hours;
2) whenever occupancy is below 40% of total visitor seats (including main reading rooms, upstairs study areas, and conference rooms, but excluding seats in currently designated Law student-only areas), admit all UCLA students with a valid ID;
3) at all other times, admit non-Law UCLA students using the current system of day passes and the verified “special research needs” list.
Sponsor
UCLA Law Students for Expanded Library Access
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