GPSC takes on library resources

Graduate students voiced their frustrations about the University's library services last night at the Graduate and Professional Student Council meeting.

Students pointed to several problems with the library system, including a continuous problem with "shelf failure," a situation in which books are misshelved and cannot be found by those doing research. Many students also feel that the books they need for their research are not available at the library, said Wayne Lee, a fourth year history student and GPSC representative on the Library Council.

"The University needs to make sure that the library gets the funds that it needs," to maintain an efficient library system, Lee said. He added that while administrators maintain that the amount of funding given to the library is similar to that of comparable universities, many graduate students do not believe this to be the case.

In line with their concerns with library funding, GPSC members would like to see the library system as part of the University's upcoming capital funding campaign. They are aiming to make library funding a line-item within the campaign, which will produce an endowment supplementing the library's existing budget, Lee said.

GPSC officers also discussed current efforts to establish more extensive spousal benefits. Currently, graduate students are working with the athletic department to provide their spouses with DukeCard access to football games. Efforts are also being made to let spouses pay for and use Union facilities and to provide spouses with access to the buildings in which their partners work. In addition to these initiatives, GPSC is trying to establish equal benefits for same-sex spouse equivalents, said President Michael Tino, a third year student in cell biology.

Students also discussed difficulty with finding safe and affordable housing near the University. One student said that she was forced to accept her last choice in housing, which was also the most expensive option of those she submitted to the University. Other graduate students said they were forced to choose housing closer to Chapel Hill than to Durham because the housing near the University is unacceptable.

Tino asked the attending members to research how other top universities handle housing for their graduate students. He said he hopes to submit this information to the Division of Student Affairs in an attempt to address this continuing problem.

IN OTHER BUSINESS: Appointments were also made to two committees. Jack Friedman, a graduate student in cultural anthropology was appointed to the Bryan Center Committee, while Heidi Ashih, a graduate student in statistics and decision sciences, and G. Clark Smith, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, were appointed to the University Judicial Board.