Opinion: Keep UC Berkeley’s libraries open

As a UC Berkeley student, I am not surprised that the world’s number one public university has decided to, once again, close libraries in order to pinch pennies. It is painfully clear where the university’s priorities lie — not with academics and researchers but with athletics, placating wealthy donors, and bulldozing over green space to build more student housing. Why else would athletics get over $30 million in funding when the university needs to close three libraries to save $1 million? 

If UC Berkeley continues to tear down libraries, the ever-expanding student body on campus will not have any safe spaces left to do exactly what they came to do … learn and grow. However, UC Berkeley’s problem is a bigger problem — the problem of cash flow to our state’s public universities. A few decades ago, UC Berkeley was free for all California students. It’s time to talk about why our state must spend more on higher education.

Opinion: Keep UC Berkeley’s libraries open

By Reva Kale, Berkeleyside | 2/20/23