Library Offers a Potpourri of Titles, with Some Strange Omissions

The library has been under some well-deserved scrutiny this year, as it has suffered major budget cuts and, in turn, closed the 24-hour-zone. This inspection has also been placed on its collection of movies and books, determining whether or not it is up to par with expectations. Therefore, the question remains: is the library transcending its financial woes or are the bills dragging the library to an unforgivable depth? The answer is that the library, though still plagued by a myriad of minor problems, is keeping its head above water, providing a great place to study and do research.

The first thing to address is the fact that though the 24-hour section is still closed (except during midterms and finals), it has received a four-hour time boost, open from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. and from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., except on Fridays and Saturdays. This happened thanks to popular demand and Fordham College Rose Hill Dean Michael Latham, College of Business Administration Dean Donna Rapacolli and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean Nancy Busch, who worked hard to keep it open longer. This increased time to visit the library is a godsend to those procrastinators out there who are scrambling to finish every report.

The next part of the equation is the books. This section of the library got hit particularly hard with a 50-percent cut to all purchasing funding. This cut meant that there are fewer books, less opportunity to get new books and a decreased chance to replace a book if it is lost. Additionally, a number of subscriptions to the online periodicals have been permanently stopped. 

Nonetheless, John D'Angelo, manager of the circulation section, seems confident that the library is managing to get all essential items, but did say that if the "circulation stats are too low" then they won't bother to replace certain items anymore. Also, he stressed that all patrons are welcome to order books from the other libraries using the interlibrary loan system. While that is a useful asset, if speed is of the essence for class, then it definitely hurts not to have items closer at hand. Also, the library doesn't seem to have a number of fairly important and widespread books such as Ender's Game and the entire 11-book Sword of Truth series that has been made into a television show. 

Finally, another disappointing thing about the library is the fact that sometimes, though it says online that they are in stock, the books will simply be missing. This is the most frustrating, especially when you make a special trip to the library only to discover that the book you wanted isn't there. This has happened multiple times with me regarding titles for class and for fun, including the internationally renowned Dave Egger's book What is the What? Though the faults are minor, that doesn't mean that they are any less irritating.

The next part of the library worth investigating is the video collection. This section of the library has a few more flaws than the books with multiple titles simply never there, an outdated VHS collection and a wonky online system. First off, nothing is more frustrating than looking up a movie just to find out that they only have it on VHS. How many kids still own a VHS player? After asking everyone I knew I only found one person, and that was because it was built into his TV. 

Also, there are far too many high-profile titles that the finicky online system says the library has in stock and they don't such as Memento, Gladiator, Almost Famous and High Fidelity (VHS). This is also supremely irritating. Combine that with the high number that can only be found at Lincoln Center such as Kill Bill Vol.1 and 2, Thomas Crown Affair and Valkyrie and the random titles that neither library own, and the video section of the library has its problems cut out for it. With all this said, the collection is still massive with over 10,000 movies, though that includes the underused VHS tapes, and even offers a few surprises such as the cult classic Army of Darkness and season one of "Burn Notice." Unfortunately, the problems add up to more than can be expected from a normal library and hinder a generally great video section. 

 As for my recommendations for the library, I would first advocate the cleaning up of the mistakes in the system, whether the books or movies are missing or mis-shelved. I don't want to get my hopes up again looking up a book or movie and discovering that it isn't there. Second, add more of the books that kids use for class, particularly for English classes. There was never more than one copy of a single one of my books for class and I know that I'm not the only one checking the library before having to pay for it out of pocket. Third, I would buy one of those machines that transfers VHSs to DVDs and have it running continuously until not a single VHS remains. This would provide a much needed boost to the Rose Hill DVD library.   

On the other hand, when all that a person sees with the library are its problems, then it is time to take a step back. The library still contains 2.4 million volumes not including its online assets and provides a great place to work in a quiet, modern setting. Though it is difficult to take steps forward during a financial crunch, the library has moved the book order forms online for easy access and the hours have been updated further openings. Overall, despite a fair number of exasperating problems, the library is still a valuable benefit to every student.

Travis Comstedt, FCRH '12, is from Boulder, Col.