It’s that time of year again.  Turn on the lights infront of Dallas Hall, hang a stocking in your room (only withapproved adhesive devices) and head down to Fondren Library forsome quality time with your organic chemistry textbook. 

Before burning the midnight oil, however, take a moment to thankthe volunteer at the front desk. 

Due to an insufficient budget, library employees working shiftsduring extended hours are not compensated for their time. 

Most of these employees are students who have finals of theirown, and while they probably accomplish a good amount of studyingduring their graveyard shift, Ed. Board believes they also deservetheir wage.

The final exam period volunteers are but one example of agreater campus concern.  The library system is ready andwilling to augment its services but is severely restricted by itsbudget.  

For fiscal year 2003, expenditures were $355,000 with a $165,000shortfall.  A faculty senate request to increase thelibrary’s budget by $150,000 received a sympathetic butunhelpful response from the administration. 

Apparently, the football stadium needed state-of-the-artsynthetic turf more than the library, the cornerstone of academicpursuit, needs to expand its hours and assets.

It seems that Ed. Board’s vision of a library that nevercloses is yet another pipe dream. 

The library already struggles just to stay afloat, let alonewith the additional burden of staffing the 265,000 square footFondren Center all night, every night.  We hope that a dayarrives when the future of SMU is measured by Nobel Prizes and notHeisman Trophies. 

In the mean time, will anyone support such an integral part ofour campus?

While the student body may lack the funds to cover thelibrary’s $165,000 deficit, we certainly have the ability toreward the students who sacrifice their nights during examweek. 

Ed. Board requests that any student senator who agrees, write apiece of legislation providing funds to the Central UniversityLibraries so that student employees of Fondren Library can becompensated during the night hours of finals. 

Perhaps this gesture will illustrate to our administrators thatthe students of SMU greatly value the library system.

We also desire that more attention be given to the focal pointof intellectual discovery when planning the annual budget.