Talk has spread throughout campus recently that the University is throwing away invaluable, dare I say, sacred texts into a large dumpster outside the back door of the library. Indeed there is such a dumpster and there is a multitude old, damaged or outdated books filling the container.
Key words: old, damaged, and outdated.
These books, journals and other texts have been cycled out and tossed, known as “weeding,” in an effort to provide University students with the newest, highest quality reading materials available. However, students and alumni have taken to social media outlets to voice their complete and total opposition of a practice that is not only mandated by the State of Louisiana, but also done in many other cities and towns across the United States.
The act has been called “disgusting,” “immoral,” “unbelievable,” and “stupid” in comments posted to the University’s Facebook page. It has led students to suggest, and perhaps actually, dumpster dive and retrieve the books. Others have suggested recycling or donating them to other schools, stores or prisons.  Yet others have offered up a sale to anyone interested in buying them. An online petition was even created asking members to support a stop to the weeding project.
While the passion behind the fight is commendable, many have failed to realize that this is not something the University really has a choice in doing. As stated in a recent email sent out by the library, all state property “may not be given away or sold to anyone (other than by transfer to another state agency.) Before disposing of the books and other materials, the library offers to transfer them to the University’s Colleges and to other State academic, public and school libraries, however, they are rarely accepted…”because they are, after all, out-dated, incomplete, worn or otherwise,unitable discards.” Much like state funding given to public universities earmarked for specific projects, the money or materials cannot be transferred as one pleases.
One comment on the University’s Facebook page reads: “This is actually a common problem at state schools. It’s almost like coffee shops that have to throw away extra food at night because of the liability of giving it away. There’s no process for where to send these books and it’s state/school money which means they have a lot of red tape about giving it away.” Although there is a process for giving away the books, the general idea of this comment is stating what many opposing this practice are forgetting: this problem is not with the University.
This is not a fight to be had with the library or its workers. Instead it is a problem with the way a rule was made in government. Librarians are just like all the other writers, journalists, poets, and avid readers out there: they love the written word – so much so that they made a career out of it. So take your opposition to the capitol if you want to make a statement. Write a letter or make a phone call to a senator or representative and see what can be done. However, the blame should not be placed with Nicholls. Remember, without this project, up-to-date textbooks, journals and classic novels yet to come would never make their way to our library’s shelves, in turn providing us the opportunity to become more well-rounded students.