14/11/2021
⚠️ In case you missed it
Last week on Wednesday, a protest for sufficient funding of the university libraries took place on the University Square at Uni Halle.
The StuRa Uni Halle has published a statement on this, which you can read here in English translation:
"Funding of the ULB
Studying is a process that, contrary to the general image, does not only take place in the lecture hall, but predominantly in other places. Seminars and lectures are, of course, a central part of studying as a setting for imparting knowledge and as such should not be neglected, but an appropriate learning environment for preparing and following up on the material learned is also indispensable and at least as relevant as imparting the material itself for successful learning and educational growth. The place that offers all this is the library. This is where most students gain the most knowledge and where space and resources are provided for the most successful self-study. A library that is, firstly, regularly open and, secondly, equipped with the most up-to-date specialist literature possible is therefore indispensable for the university. The pandemic situation has made this clear once again. We owe a debt of gratitude to the tireless commitment of the library staff and management, who made it possible for library operations to continue, albeit on a limited basis, even during the pandemic.
Library operations depend on staff and student assistants to ensure regular opening hours that are as long as possible. If there is no money to pay them, an open library as we know it from recent years is unthinkable. But money is not only needed for opening hours. Research develops and science is not static. That is why students and teachers depend on access to current scientific literature. The last few years have shown us what a big role digitised literature plays. To curtail the library's digitisation process, which is currently underway, by cutting open access licences is therefore unacceptable and cannot be the lesson of the last year and a half.
We therefore view with great concern the impact of the budget cuts on the ULB. The lack of 1.5 million euros is currently forcing the library management to restrict opening hours in order to be able to purchase at least a minimum of current literature and licences. The library management rejects an unrestricted opening of the library at the expense of literature acquisition. We support this position, but urge the rectorate and the federal state to reconsider the financing of the ULB. It must not be the case that the library, as one of the largest pillars of the university, has to decide between opening hours and the acquisition of literature. An underfunded library cannot sustain the university in the long term, and would make Halle, especially the study programmes in medicine and law, much less attractive as a location. There is already not enough money to renew important large licences, such as the learning, information and examination database Amboss, which is essential for medicine. Overall, this is not a sustainable state of affairs. According to the library management, at least 500,000 € are needed to ensure adequate library operations. As the SPK of the student council, we support the library management and the demand for a better financed ULB. There are no good studies without a library, there are no students without good studies, there is no university without students."
[Please note that this is not a professional translation, but was done by the Referat für Internationales - Stura Uni Halle. If you have further questions or problems understanding important information because they are only available in German, please send an email to: [email protected]]
Studium ist ein Prozess, der sich entgegen des allgemeinen Bildes nicht nur im Hörsaal abspielt, sondern vorwiegend an anderen Orten. Seminare und Vorlesungen sind zwar natürlich als Schauplatz der Wissensvermittlung zentraler Bestandteil des Studiums und als solche nicht zu vernachlässigen, jedo...
