The librarians were expressing concerns about what they view as increasing efforts by other units on campus to claim space that traditionally has been reserved for library services.

Dorothy Woodson, a librarian in Lockwood Library, told FSEC members that "people with tape measures are always walking around looking at our space.

"To have an administrative group come into a library and decide it needs this space or that space for some function that could be handled in another venue and then to suggest we put items in storage in another venue, I find really appalling," Woodson said.

She suggested that the Information and Library Services Committee issue a statement saying that library space is "sacrosanct."

However, one FSEC member questioned whether space can be reserved solely for one use and not another.

Don Schack, professor of mathematics, told Woodson that the university recently took some classrooms "off line," presumably for "some noble purpose.

"Space gets grabbed off all the time for all sorts of purposes, counter to all sorts of interests," Schack said. "I don't know if we would really want to, as a Faculty Senate, support a resolution that identifies one type of space as sacrosanct," over other types of space.

But Woodson pointed out that library space is "unique" in that it must meet certain climate and load-bearing conditions.

Barbara von Wahlde, associate vice president for university libraries, emphasized that library space has been tight for some time.

A plan to convert Bethune Hall at Main Street and Hertel Avenue into library storage space has "disappeared" due to a change in the way SUNY construction funds are allocated.

"Our campus does not view that (library storage space) as a high enough priority-yet," von Wahlde said.

She added that there are professional standards governing how much space is allocated for various functions, collections and activities with libraries.

"We probably have exceeded all of those as well," she said.

Karen Spencer, associate librarian in the law library, noted that library faculty members were not consulted in preliminary discussions about locating the new Educational Technology Center in the basement of Lockwood Library. The center instead will be located in the Science and Engineering Library in Capen Hall.

She also said that she attended a meeting at which Voldemar Innus, senior associate vice president for university services and UB's chief information officer, said that the libraries would have to give up some services in order to take on "technological innovations."

Noting that the libraries were the first unit on campus to "embrace and integrate technology," Spencer pointed out, however, that not all information is electronic, and will not become so in the future.

"Research-quality information is not suddenly free or less expensive because of new technology," she said, adding that libraries will continue to acquire, store and archive information, as well as help people use it.

"Giving up library space to win the technology race is short-sighted," she warned.

She urged senators to "help create a vision of what you want the libraries to be."

Marilyn Kramer, secretary to the Faculty Senate and head of the Cataloging Department in Central Technical Services in the University Libraries, endorsed Spencer's request.

"It's critical to develop a faculty vision of where we're going to supplement the vision of the librarians," Kramer said. "It's a time of change; when that happens, we definitely need as much input as possible."

Peter Nickerson, chair of the Faculty Senate and professor of pathology, instructed the Information and Library Services Committee, chaired by Richard Lee, professor of medicine, to examine both the space and vision issues as part of its work this academic year.