The Destruction of Valuable Resources
Update 3/14/07: Hooray! The truth comes out, thanks to librarian Danette Cook Adamson…
Some of her responses to our concerns are posted here… 
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Boy, was I livid when I heard about this…
Seeing as Cal Poly, Pomona is my undergrad Alma Mater, herein lies my heated response 
to this article…
This action against books, good solid research skills, and the freedom of speech is truly offensive. That a California State University, a haven for education, is willing to destroy HALF of its reference collection to make room for a Starbucks, is shocking. Granted, the addition of a reading room and study lab is nice, but why sacrifice such a staggering number of books for these things? Books, and the priceless knowledge they contain, are the reason to have a reading room and study lab in the first place.
The internet will never contain all that is found in centuries worth of books, nor can it provide all the necessary resources of quality scholarship. A University ought to strive to be the lender and not the borrower of books; the sense of ownership of a quality collection is something to be proud of. As for throwing the books into trash bins, what a blind waste! At least donate them to another University who cares about the preservation of knowledge and culture! Or give them to a charity - or make a little extra money through a book sale!
What of valuable collections such as music manuscripts, Cal Poly’s own student dissertations, or other important literary and scholarly works? Though they may not be checked out often, they are still immensely valuable and should be treated with respect.
And, finally, how dare this University, an entity founded to provide quality education to its community, silence one of its own librarians with such threats because he expresses a valid discontent in the handling of this situation, and because he wishes to make known the atrocities to the public and student community! To say that NO ONE, student or not, may use a CSU’s name in a way that the University disapproves of, is clearly a violation of the right to free speech.
As a Cal Poly alumna, lover of both ancient and modern books, and one who has been greatly enriched through intensive research, I pray that Cal Poly will reconsider its actions and strive to be a better resource for its students.
Thanks to James for bringing this to my attention, and for his continuing support! 
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