Dear Chancellor Drake, Members of the UCI Administration, and Library Staff,
We write to let you know that we support the peaceful efforts of UCI students to keep the main library open this Friday after 5pm through Saturday and possibly Sunday. Those of us who are able to do so plan to hold study sessions, participate in teach-ins, and stop by to be with the students in the library during the week-end.
The current library hours, among many other measures, do a grave disservice to our students and staff and are simply an embarrassment for a great research university like UCI. Far from being a mere service to students, the library, where books and study spaces are available, lies at the center of the intellectual exploration that reaches fruition in final papers and exams.
Our action is intended to draw attention to the unacceptable sacrifices made by students and staff at UCI, despite the best efforts of faculty to continue to provide the high quality instruction for which our university is known. We note that our support of this action does not preclude our support of other actions, such as the "write-in" on the budget organized by the Chancellor.
We ask that you do all in your power to ensure that the library action goes forward peacefully, allowing students the full use of library resources before finals week.
Sincerely,
Cecelia Lynch, Political Science
Elizabeth Allen, English
Jane O. Newman, Comparative Literature
Rei Terada, Comparative Literature
Eyal Amiran, Comparative Literature and FMS
Catherine Liu, FMS and Visual Studies
Laura Mitchell, History
Santiago Morales, Spanish/Portuguese
(please send signatures to john.bruning@gmail.com)
