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.