UCSD Considers Closing Four Libraries

The UCSD Library Committee has outlined a plan to close one or more libraries for the 2011–12 academic year as part of a $3 million budget cut to the libraries, reports the Guardian, UCSD's student newspaper.

The UCSD Library Committee is considering closing CLICS, a computer library, as well as the Medical Center Library, Science & Engineering Library, and Scripps Library. The closure of these four libraries would save just over a million dollars per year.

The library budget has been cut by $5 million during the past three years. Library hours and staff have been reduced. The main library closes at midnight most nights this year instead of at 2 a.m., as it had previously.

The cost of UCSD tuition increased 32 percent last year; UCSD estimates it costs $21,909 per year for a California-resident student living at home to attend UCSD.

In contrast, San Diego State University has a portion of its main library that is open 24 hours. SDSU estimates that it costs $15,040 per year for a California-resident student living at home to attend — 31 percent less than the estimated cost of UCSD tuition.

According to a poll on the Guardian website, 79 percent of those polled (out of 164 total votes) are against closing CLICS.

Sources: The Guardian, UCSD, and SDSU websites