Less money for books at Sydney uni

BY ANNETTE MAGUIRE

A cutback in funding for library staff at Sydney University is causing a 12 per cent cut to staff numbers across the library. At least 30 staff positions will go, with major impacts on library services expected.

The funding cut comes on the heels of a previous 18% funding reduction over 2009-2010. It is a part of wider cutbacks amid a restructuring of teaching and learning across the University.

A sizeable drop in the number of international students, combined with an ongoing decline in government funding, have contributed to a budget squeeze on Faculties and teaching resources.

Michael Thomson, President of the staff union, the NTEU, said “we find it disappointing that this University, with a healthy bank balance, finds that the way forward is to cut library services and staff.”

Thomson believes that the University’s handling of funding challenges is overly dictated by free-market ideology. He describes the Vice-Chancellor’s recently-released “University Economic Model” as based on running the various departments as separate businesses, that have to prove their “financial worth” in order to receive funding. “This framework puts the squeeze on teaching, learning, and services that support them, which don’t turn a profit, but are the core activity of Universities”.

The University Librarian, John Shepp, confirmed that “losing 12 per cent of staff will inevitably have significant implications for Library services.” He hopes to reduce the impact through the current renovation of the Fisher Library, so that it requires less staff to operate.

However, a Library staffer, who preferred not to be named, told the City Hub, “in terms of services, it’s going to be horrendous for students. We’re already stretched.” The staffed Contact Points for library users have already been cut back.

“The library is just becoming a mess,” the staffer continued. The core task of putting books back on the shelf, performed by workers in the lower-ranking jobs, is under pressure as these staff are moved around to fill gaps caused by short-staffing. A problem that stands to get much worse under the staff cuts. “The bigger issue that no-one is addressing is the conditions of our work.”