Press Release: Library Closures Confirmed

“AUSA condemns the decision made today by the University of Auckland to close five specialist libraries, despite the outpouring of anger and concern throughout the process from both staff and students”, says AUSA President Anna Cusack.

“None of the specialist libraries considered will remain open, and the Vice Chancellor has also chosen to put the Maori leadership position on hold until the new Pro Vice Chancellor of Maori is confirmed.”

“This decision will actively harm the future of Creative Arts at the University of Auckland. Thousands of students and leaders in Architecture and Planning, Fine Arts, and Music and Dance sectors expressed serious concerns about this proposal. But these concerns have been ignored.”

“This decision fails to reflect the different resources and learning needs our students have in their different degrees. Without specialised libraries, as well as study spaces near each faculty, learning and studying will be significantly harder”, says Anna.

“What’s more, students have had no official avenues of consultation and have been shut out from discussing their learning spaces. Although we welcome the University’s invitation to work with AUSA on the future of these spaces, this decision ignores students’ concerns in a worrying way.”

“The outcome is completely against what students have been calling for at marches, sit-ins and self-led submissions for months. The current General Library, in which the books from all of these libraries will be incorporated into, is over filled with students and has issues with accessibility. Learning spaces and educational resources are essential to a University.”

“The educational impact of closing these libraries was also not heard by Senate, the University’s highest academic board. A 20-49 vote in the most recent Senate meeting expressed the concern of lecturers and students that Senate was excluded from advising on the educational importance of libraries, as it had become an employment matter.”

“AUSA is incredibly disappointed with decision to close all five libraries. This is a sad day for the future of the Creative Arts at the University, and for all Creative Arts students whose concerns have been ignored, and libraries taken away.

Creative Arts play an important role in enriching and contributing to our society, and their value must not be underestimated.”

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