August 4, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dennis Brown - 509/335-2930 (office)
509/334-2297 (Home)
WSU Fischer Ag Library to Remain Open
PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Fischer Agriculture Sciences Library at Washington State University will not be closed to make room for research facilities.
James J. Zuiches, dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, told faculty Wednesday in an electronic memo that other alternatives are being explored.
Closing the library in Johnson Hall and moving its 25,000 volume collection to the Owen Science and Engineering Library and other libraries across campus had been considered to create space required by an anticipated research grant.
"The word immediately spread around the college that this proposal was being considered," Zuiches said in his electronic letter. "Some faculty, staff and students, and alums heard that the proposal was a done deal. Numerous e-mails and letters were sent and phone calls made to the college and WSU administration."
Faculty, staff and students voiced their concerns at a meeting with college administrators on July 19. Zuiches said that "very strong arguments" were made that both students and researchers would be negatively affected by the closure of the Fischer Library.
"The library is a convenient facility for teachers from all agriculture disciplines to put course materials on reserve. The multi-disciplinary nature of the collection reflects the broad and applied mission of the land- grant institution."
Concern also was expressed about the longer term selection and availability of the agriculture sciences materials that would be maintained in Owen Science Library.
"A number of faculty from around the state view the Ag Sci Library as the state ag library," Zuiches noted. "These faculty come to the Pullman campus to access the resources housed in this single location and utilize them in their statewide programs."
Based on the information that the college administration received, Zuiches said that a decision has been made to explore other alternatives for space.
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