The following report will be delivered to the University Senate on Wednesday March 10 1999. The University Library Committee is a Senate oversight committee reporting to the University Senate.

In response to the Decennial Program Review's recommendation that the University Librarian `consider consolidation of the Mathematics Library with the Science Library', the University Library Committee notes that the review was mostly concerned with the space and budget constraints of both the Math and Science Libraries. Although cutbacks have removed the full-time staff position for the Math Library, the Math Library still operates at a high level of utility to the Math faculty, visiting scholars, graduate and undergraduates.

The Math Library serves as an important and unique research facility for the Department of Mathematics. The identity of the Department of Mathematics, its reputation in the outside academic world, and its ability to attract first-class faculty members is greatly enhanced by the Math Library. The move of the Math Library into Science, even though there will be no change to the size and composition of the collection, would have severe consequences to the future of Department of Mathematics outside of the immediate impact on mathematical education and research. Whereas biologists have their field studies, physicists and chemists have their laboratories; mathematics, as a field of study, is specifically tied to a good library for superior education and research. Mathematics, by its symbolic nature, is a strongly dependent on a system of preprints and journals for continued excellence, and for this reason continued support for the current Math Library is recommended by the ULC.

The ULC recognizes that the design and operation of the Mathematics Library must be such that the library serves the entire university community. The Mathematics Library is not a specialized book collection of interest only to the Mathematics Department faculty. Mathematics is central to many disciplines on this campus. As such, the Mathematics Library is a research tool for the entire university, and it must meet the needs of faculty and students outside of the Mathematics Department.

In lieu of moving or consolidating the Math Library, the ULC recommends that every possible avenue be explored to improve the efficiency of Math Library services in order to increase the worth of the Library to its users without a significant impact on the Library budget. Areas of immediate concern are the maintenance of the collection, security and access and the acquisition of new materials under tight budget constraints.

The security of the Mathematics Library should be equivalent to other university libraries. This is necessary because of the significant investment of university funds in the Mathematics Library and because the library plays an important role in the research and teaching needs of the entire university.

Access to the Mathematics Library should be equivalent to other university libraries. Differences in the hours of operation between the Science Library and the Mathematics Library exacerbates the problems caused by the physical separation of these two collections. Special Mathematics Library access privileges given to a select group of faculty ignores the fact that other university students and faculty need better access to this collection.

We recommend (1) that a regular rotation (i.e., the same individuals) of librarians monitor the collection from the Science Library, (2) a limited distribution of keys for off-hour access to the Math Library plus the installation of an electronic security gate at the front door of the library, (3) adding hours of service to the Math Library when funds become available, (4) extending access privilege to other University faculty members whose needs and project match the Math Dept faculty and (5) continued surveys of Math Library users (especially the Computer Science Dept) to identify other needs. We also recommend that the Math faculty continue close contact with the Knight and Science staff, especially concerning the selection and acquisition of new books and journals.