Library protest photo spread in Anaga yearbook, 1969

Library protest photo spread in Anaga yearbook, 1969

“Not enough books!” This was the thought on students’ minds in March of 1969. The library had not been allocated enough funds to keep up with the ever-developing fields of research and growing number of students. To keep up with demand, the library needed roughly 100,000 more volumes, which students estimated would require the university to allocate an additional $1.5 million to the library. Still, the library was not a funding priority and the concerns of students, faculty, and parents were going largely ignored by senior administration.

This culminated in students checking out 4,000 books and spending the night in the library on Tuesday, March 11, 1969. It was an act of peaceful demonstration that sent a clear if not loud message to the administration.

The following day, several student representatives including members of the Student Senate and Student Body President Peter Erlinder held a conference with President Talman Van Arsdale. The conversation bore fruit and led to a resolution that satisfied students, faculty, and administration. President Van Arsdale promised that the library would be prioritized and would have its needs met.

The photos shown here appeared in the 1969 yearbook and illustrate this moment of student activism.

1969

Student movements

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