Take back the library!: Managing student unrest in the library

Abstract

In the fall of 2009, following a staggering $450 million cut in state funding, the Regents of the University of California voted to increase tuition an unprecedented 30% over the course of the 09-10 academic year. At the same time, cuts to campus departments caused many class sizes to swell while course offerings dwindled. These unexpected budget cutbacks forced the UC Santa Cruz Library to drastically reduce its open hours (from 190 to 134) with very little notice at the beginning of the academic year. With students feeling squeezed from so many angles at once, the library became a lighting rod for their dissatisfaction about budget cuts on campus. , , On November 13, 2009 students staged a 24 hour 'Study-In' at the Science & Engineering Library. Library administration negotiated for a peaceful resolution and began looking for additional funding to restore library hours. However, general unhappiness with the cuts to campus services and increases in fees continued. Students organized a larger protest that shutdown the entire UCSC campus on March 14, 2010 and another multi-day library occupation was staged May 10 - May 13, 2010., , In the midst of this upheaval, Access Services played a key role in developing and coordinating the staff response to demonstrations and student takeovers of the University Libraries. We will discuss the process for developing a response plan, how it worked in practice and how it changed future safety, security and disaster planning.