no. 0
Breckenhdge takes library job
By Ken Merlin
School of Journalism
Wednesday marked the first
time in 29 years the job of
director of the UNL library
system has been vacant.
Adam Breckenridge, a
political science professor,
took office as acting director
Aug. 1 following the
resignation of John Heussman
who went on leave May 31.
Mrs. Frank Lundy, an
associate director, was director
during the two month interim.
Her husband was director of
libraries for 27 years prior to
Heussman's appointment in
1971.
Last week the Summer
By Nancy Stohs
School of Journalism
If alcohol is to be allowed on
the University campus, it looks
like the 1974 Legislature will have
to take the bill.
Since the Board of Regents
defeated UNL Chancellor James
Zumtx;rge's alcohol proposal in
June, state Young Democrat
officer Blane Osteirnan has
s
Stof Dsgoslonve acfion
makes '73 program largest
An enrollment of 5,333
students in the second Summer
Session at the University of
Nebraska Lincoln makes the
1973 summer program the
largest in the University's
history.
A total of 13,363 students
enrolled in courses this summer
at UNL. The first session
enrollment totalled 6,916, while
860 were in a 3 week pre session
and 254 in an 8 week session.
Nebraskan interviewed former
directors Lundy and
Heussman, and acting director
Breckenridge, about the
growth of the library system
since 1968 and the upcoming
period of transition of possibly
a year before a permanent
director can be found.
Director's job
The director of libraries' job
is primarily one of providing
quality service to library
patrons, according to all
three men. A combination of
factors mentioned which effect
the quality of service were the
presence of adequate resources,
a professionally-trained staff,
understanding of the system on
y j
tebounded by contracting the
support of several state senatois.
But according to Sen. Steve
Fowler, one pledged supporter:
"In an election year, it (passage)
would be difficult. A suipiising
amount of negative reaction came
up to the Regents' pioposal, and
I'm afraid it would come up
again."
The defeated pioposal allowed
The 1973 summer ptogiam
exceeded the previous high of
13,120 student who enrolled for
summer study in 1971. Last year
the summer enrollment at UNL
was 12,806.
"There are still a few
programs yet to be counted and
the record summer enrollment
may reach as high as 13,500
when everyone has been
recorded," said William Sesow,
assistant director of Summer
Sessions.
the part of the patron, and
cooperation between the
patron and the staff to make
the system work and to
improve it.
Storage space became a
problem as early as 1968
according to a staff reply to a
patron's complaint posted on
the Undergraduate Library
"suggestion board."
Suggestion: "This Library
system stinks. Why don't you
put all your goods in one
god-damn building so we
wouldn't have to run all over
town."
Staff reply
Reply: "In 1968 we were
allocated six and a half million
consumption of liquoi in campus
living units anil select campus
facilities such as ihe Union and
t h e Neb i a ska Centei f oi
Continuing Education on a tiial
yeai basis.
Fowlei said theie ispiobablya
bettei chance fui passage by the
Legislature because of its"geneial
willingness to have minois dunk,"
lefening to the iccent loweiing of
the majoi ity age.
But he said he is wonied about
paient reaction.
So fai, theie has been only
minimal discussion between
Osteirnan, Fowlei and seveiai
other senatois. Osteirnan said he
will meet with the senatois in
September to stait blue punting a
bill 'which will be very similar to
Zumbeige's."
He said both the University
and state Young Democrats will
support the bill.
Osterman is first district Young
Democrats chairman and state
organizational chairman.
Earlier in July, Mark Hoeger,
ASUN first vice president, said,
UNL students "probably won't go
back to the Regents with a liquor
proposal for awhile."
dollars as part of a larger
Construction Bill covering
many other state services.
When this Bill was vetoed by
the governor, Love Library
attempted to pass our portion
of the bill separately.
Regretfully, the Supreme
Court of Nebraska decided that
this was unconstitutional , . .
"Now, under the present
governor, we received only
three and a half million, not
nearly enough to build a
:entral library adequate for the
:urrent growth rate. So late in
1968 part of the Dewey
collection was moved to C.Y.
Thompson and to the Law
Annex. Last summer we were
finally compelled to begin
moving the entire Dewey
collection to the third floor of
Nebraska Hall.
"In about 18 months
(written as of May 3, 1973)
most of the Dewey books will
go back once again to Love . . .
In other words, we believe in
the concept of a central library
for most of the collection
which should properly stand
together. We only wish the
original addition had been
completed so that we could be
more successful!
"On the other hand, the
branch libraries are a great
convenience for the
departments which have them.
The Undergiaduate Library,
incidentally, was never
intended to be a substitute for
Love Library, but a kind of
bridge leading to it.
Lundy, who was director
during the struggle for
expansion of the library
program said the S6.5 million
request lacked the enthusiastic
support of the administration
and the Board of Regents.
Look at Big 8
"I took a very careful look
at schools in the Big Eight and
their library commitments in
terms of the number of PH.D
programs.
"Graduate level programs,"
he said, "multiply the
resources needed to support
them geometrically.
"In terms of the number of
Ph.D programs, size and
quality of faculty and library
budgets, we had the weakest
libiaiy program in the Big
Eight to say nothing of the Big
Ten,
'"We weie spieading $2
million acioss a system which
needed S5.5 million a yeai" to
keep pace with schools of
compatible giowih late in the
countiy, he said.
"The expansion of the
libiaiy was planned along with
architects and consultants
based on 40 Ph.D piogiams
and enough space1 to house a
staff who weie uainx;d even
then in Love.
Cut in half
"The pioposed building was
ultimately cut in half and what
you see going up now (Love
addition) won't meet the needs
for the next 15 to 18 years as
planned. We'll need another
building in eight years which
will cost a lot more in the
end," he said.
The frustration of patrons
and staff alike climaxed shortly
after Lundy's retirement in
1971.
"People on the desk began
taking all kinds of criticism.
Faculty members were rude
and unpleasant. As a result,
one-third of the professional
staff quit," he said.
The faculty chose to
complain at a time when their
support was needed to
convince the administration
that more funds were necessary
to provide a quality program,
he said.
Quite frustrated
Heussman noted that
patrons continued to feel
"quite frustrated" during his
administration. As director he
increased service to patrons by
organizing the central reference
department on the second
floor of Love Library and
provided slide-tape
presentations for use in
freshman English classes
explaining the use of the
library.
Heussman resigned the
$26,100 job to take a staff
position as a library systems
analyst creating the current
vacancy.
Concerning the
appointment of Breckenridge
to a one-year term as acting
director, Heussman said "I feel
he's in a position to bring a
new perspective to the job and
that he'll make an important
contribution during this
transitional period."
No comment
The 57-year-old
Breckenridge has served 15 of
his 25 years at the University
in administrative jobs, first as
chairman of the policial science
department from 1953 55;
then as Dean of Faculties (a
position which no longer
exists) for 1 1 years during
which, in 1962, he was given
the joint position of Vice
Chancellor of International
Piogiams in Turkey and Latin
America. He continued as vice
chancellor until 1968 when he
returned to full-time teaching
and his latest appointment as
acting director.
Breckenridge gave a "no
comment" to questions
regarding the internal
operation of the library system
such as budgeting for new
books and renovation of the
present Love Library facility,
Continued pag.) 3.
Last paper
nor summer
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