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University Daily Kansan
Thursday, Nov. 7, 1963
Thankless Profession
It took the somewhat less than organized state of the Watson Library as it undergoes the building process to point out to the heretofore blind and unappreciative students just how important the library is to university life.
It also pointed out the significance of the role of the librarian—which is even more important. Even now, some students think: "The book is there in the library. I want it. Boy, but do I have a hard time getting it. Those librarians don't know anything." End of simple thought.
IT TAKES training to be a librarian. Not only training in the Dewey Decimal System, cataloguing, and classification techniques but professional college program training and training in public relations. No matter what happens the librarian is supposed to assume the appearance of calm and patient understanding—even in the face of all those ignorant remarks, condescending tones, and impatient expressions of the students.
It's enough to try any man's courage. And weo to the librarian who evinces the slightest sign of human frailty or weakness—any finite sign of impatience, anger or fatigue. Ugh, what a grouch! And the image of the supposedly perpetual pollyanna librarian is destroyed for the day.
Such are the problems facing librarians in general and the approximately 35 professional librarians of the University of Kansas in specific. They must accommodate about 11,000 plus KU students in relation to approximately 700,000 volumes. The number will reach more than one million when Watson Library is finished.
THE LESS-than-ideal conditions of Watson Library has posed a problem not only for University students but for librarians as well. No supplementary funds were budgeted to increase the library staff to handle the temporary acute condition. Thus the librarians and their assistants
must do all the work, a fact which also slows down the business.
Many volumes of books had to be moved to other locations on campus such as the basement of Murphy Hall or under the football stadium. Some special requests necessitate several trips a day by the librarians hunting for certain volumes at the various storage points. The location and return process often takes several days.
But, according to W. Stuart Forth, associate director of libraries, the storage of books should not affect the term paper and research work of the average University student.
IF THE STUDENT gripes about service he also gripes about fines and the cost of replacements. But he doesn't take into consideration those fellow students who steal out-of-print books deliberately, who walk off with magazines and newspapers, who damage books through careless use and handling, and who deliberately keep books overdue so that they, and no one else, can use them. Such students not only are costing the library money and valuable time, they also are costing other students the inherent right to use books in their research and personal studies—as students of a university.
STUDENTS SELDOM understand that fines are a regulatory device set up to prevent the misuse of state property and to curb the social irresponsibility of that select few. Fines are used to pay for the cost of processing books, for bibliographical checking, cataloguing, and classifying. And in the case of out-of-print books, the money (the $4 processing fee plus the cost of the book) is used to hunt down the book in various antique shops and establishments.
—Dolores Orman
The librarian's job is essentially a thankless vocation, but it certainly provides a test of human endurance.
Amateur Analysis
Editor:
In another editorial from the seemingly endless source of amateur political analyses appearing in the University Daily Kansan, the writer connected a Garuda, a Jayhawk, and a Kansas 4-H girl oiling sewing machines and making banana jam. Get serious, joker. And what is so surprising about symbolism? Sociologists have known about it for years.
I did not oil rusty sewing machines or make banana jam, but I did spend a year in North Borneo with the Peace Corps. On the basis of this experience, I beg to differ with several points in the editorial.
The Tunku is indeed the Prime Minister of the Federated States, but he has not been one of the prime movers behind Malaysia. In deference to demands of Sukarno and Subandrio, the Tunka has backed down from various positions. Several other behind-the-scenes political leaders have been the PRIME movers.
The point was also made that these several states have joined together into one nation for their mutual protection. I tend to minimize this factor. In the past these states have been protected from possible aggression by forces of the British Commonwealth. This will continue to be the case, for Malaysia has no military organization or power, other than a small national army (more of a national police force) of Malaya. The troops presently guarding the Sarawak-Indonesia Borneo border are not Malaysian troops. They are presently Gurkhas (Nepalese) and the Queens Own Highlanders have been there.
The People Say . . .
You also present the case in such a manner that one gets the feeling that Malaysia has been formed because of masses of people imbued with a tremendous spirit of nationalism and a yearning for independence. This seems to be the case in Malaya, but consider that the Federated States of Malaya were already independent. This nation has been celebrating Merdeka Day since 1957. But such is
not the case in the Borneo Territories. Brunei, originally intended to be one of the members, did not enter Malaysia. As evidenced by the rebellion in Brunei last December (this uprising was put down by Gurkhas and British troops), at least some of the people were rather violently opposed to the idea of Brunei entering Malaysia. And the final rejection of Brunei was made by the Sultan Omar himself. As an oil-rich protectorate of the Crown, Brunei had little to gain by joining Malaysia and sharing its wealth with the other states.
In Sarawak, opposition to Malaysia was expressed by political parties, especially those with a strong Chinese element. Chinese throughout the Borneo Territories were apprehensive of the formation of Malaysia, for the Tunku's government, based in Malaya, is strongly Muslim. The Chinese expressed fear of being dominated by the Malay speaking Muslim elements.
In North Borneo, where I observed the situation firsthand, there certainly was no great nationalistic spirit evident. The bulk of the people, especially in the interior, are uneducated and rather apathetic in the area of national politics. The populace did not seem to have any deep convictions in regard to Malaysia. The coming of Malaysia was forced on the people from the top; it did not rise up from the people. A handful of local political leaders saw a political opportunity for themselves and succeeded to convince the populace that Malaysia would be good.
And, I might add, June Jensby is in Sarwak.
On Mores
Terry Brungardt Hays graduate student
Editor:
It was a delight to read the well-balanced, tolerant letter on student drinking and entertaining written by the gentleman from the second floor of Templin Hall, in Thursday's UDK in reply to an earlier letter in Tuesday's UDK by another gentleman from the second floor of Templin Hall. Unwilling as we are to enter into what is obviously a private argument, certain basic postulates deserve closer examination. Firstly, it is hardly concommitant with the famed Midwest courtesy to claim that if the New Englander—do we detect a note of derision here?—doesn't 'ind things perfect in Kansas, that it is necessarily his fault and not that of the state of Kansas. Since our notorious ancestors were forced to leave the Garden of Eden, the sort of perfection on earth that Mr. Palmer claims for the state of Kansas has become noticeably harder to find.
Not that this necessarily implies that we disagree with him. On the other hand, the claims that, "an outsider should feel privileged to attend such a fine university," and that the sort of people who like to drink and talk to young ladies in their rooms (or take them to bed—using Mr. Palmer's own vivid imagery) are the people who cause political unrest, seem no less immature.
Also, Mr. Palmer seems to suggest that the sort of people, particularly those from New England, who care to consume alcoholic beverages can do so at any tavern. For the benefit of this gentleman, may we point out that nowhere in the whole, perfect state of Kansas is there a tavern where one can buy, still less consume, alcoholic beverages. One can purchase the strengthened rootbeer known locally as "3.2," but since state law defines alcohol as a liquid of more than $5\%$ proof this can hardly count.
As to his final point, that the earlier gentleman's right to entertain depends on his definition of entertainment—we agree, it is a matter for individual definition and consequently none of Mr. Palmer's business.
Hugh Tavlor
England, graduate student
Mike Hayden
Charlottesville, Va., junior
John Hattaway
Kansas City sophomore
David Harrop
Kansas City, Mo., sophomore
1963 TERMITE
this washington post
"Hold It, Fellows —— There's A Slight Delay"
Six students, finalists in the annual campus problems speaking contest, spoke last night on topics from the English Proficiency exam to the KU image.
Bitch, Bitch, Bitch; Would Someone Act?
It is sad that their speeches will be wasted.
Students may complain that a particular phase of campus life is unsatisfactory. Where does it go from there? Nowhere. There are better things to do . . . parties, drinking, dating, drinking, dating...
STUDENTS ARE continually complaining about everything from classes to the food in the dormitories—but all they do is complain.
I once had a teacher who was new to the campus. The first day the class began talking to him about comparisons between his old school and KU. He said that the first thing he had noticed about KU was the students' unconcern for things that were going on around them.
This teacher pointed out the traffic control booths. When the booths were first raised, there was much criticism, but not one sensible suggestion was ever offered to alleviate the traffic problem and the inconvenience of the control booths.
THE WESTERN Civilization department, at least aware of the students' complaints, has promised to change the course as soon as the department receives a valid criticism of the self-help study program which underlies the course.
Students continually gripe about the English department, but there is never anything done. Sensible and practical suggestions must be made before there is any hope of erasing a serious mistake. These suggestions must be made in quantity to the department, and not to roommates.
The course has not been changed.
THE CIVIL Rights Council continually recites problems on this campus which they hope to correct. Committees are formed, but never meet: plans are suggested, but never presented for action.
The All Student Council will talk and criticize with the best of them, but at the same time remain seated with the rest of them.
Everyone from the Chancellor to the freshmen says the university is failing in its efforts to attract qualified high school seniors. The blame is often put on the administration. What about the students? What ever happened to Statewide Activities? This was supposed to be their big year.
Too many talk and then fail to come through—except with more talk. May I suggest action for a change?
— Clare Casey
Dailij Mänsan
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