Students at Montclair State University are fighting to save a library filled with hundreds of liberal arts books that is slated to be dismantled in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year, Montclair State‘s Classics and General Humanities Department was notified that the “Classics Library” — a book-filled space located in a seminar room in Dickson Hall — would need to be packed up.
According to a Montclair State University spokesperson, the room is underutilized and the small space is needed to expand the building’s Student Success Center.
Montclair State’s success centers support students with career, internship and academic advising needs.
“For context, this space is a small underutilized seminar room in Dickson Hall. Its contents, which were made available to students, are not part of the Montclair State University Libraries’ collection,” campus officials said in a statement.
By next month, administration plans to begin converting the room into a space for the Student Success Center to serve the college’s 5,000 students pursuing degrees in humanities and social sciences. The current Student Success Center is at capacity, according to school officials.
However, students who often use the unofficial Classics Library say that, despite the library’s small size, it value beyond what administration is suggesting.
A petition started this school year to save the Classics Library had more than 1,200 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.
Jazmin Perez, a junior, is among the students protesting Montclair State University’s plan to close the Classics Library.Jazmin Perez
The Classics Library houses a collection of books that have had a lasting impact on thought and culture throughout history. Many of the books were donated by current and former professors in the college.
Jazmin Perez, a junior English major at Montclair State and a representative for the student union, said the library’s contents are essential for multiple majors at the college.
“The classics are an integral part of not only English majors, but also history and psychology majors,” Perez said. “It’s one of the most, if not the most, important cultural and historical points you must hit as a humanities major. And for whatever reason, they’re just willing to throw it all away.”
A university spokesperson said the materials will be carefully boxed and stored in a secure location on campus. Nothing will be discarded.
However, there is no current plan to relocate the library elsewhere on campus.
“The University will make a concerted effort to continue making these resources available to students. We are evaluating the best way to facilitate this, given competing space demands,” Montclair State officials said.
In addition to housing literature, students say the library is a sentimental space where they can gather and “feel at home.”
The space is also used for professors to teach high-level seminars. It is also used for tutoring sessions and for graduate students writing their theses. Montclair State’s Mythology Club also uses the room for their meetings.
“It’s not just a library, it’s a place for all these English majors and other students to congregate, not only to learn but to socialize and have a sense of belonging,” Perez said.
Stories by Nyah Marshall
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