Please don’t move the books from Alderman

Almost every time I tell people I am not from Virginia they ask why I would come to UVA. This question always surprises me, mostly because UVA is one of the best schools in the country.

However, I have my answer ready. There are two main things that drew me to UVA. One is the incredible English program, especially since I have known since about middle school I wanted to study English.

The other is tradition.

There are hundreds of traditions that we indulge in as Wahoos. Class rings, streaking the lawn, getting the #1 ticket at Bodo’s. And while these are incredibly fun and I have done all of them (some more than once) part of the tradition at being at UVA is its incredibly rich and academic history.

While this may seem obvious, it’s easy to forget that William Faulkner was the first University Writer-in-Residence or that Edgar Allen Poe attended for a semester (OK not easy to forget this one, but the gravity of it is easily forgotten). Especially when playing beer pong on Rugby or sucking down a wahoo at Boylan – both of which are great, definitely not putting down beer pong.

Most people don’t go to the libraries for the books. And since Alderman’s opening in 1938, most of the texts are now available online. When you do need a hard copy it’s easier to take the book out from Alderman and head over to Club Clem instead.

However, one of my favorite experiences at UVA was sitting in the Alderman stacks, surrounded by the thousands of volumes I knew had been accessed and read by generations upon generations of Cavaliers before me.

I probably went to the stacks for a hard copy of a book more than the average student, but even when I didn’t need a text, I loved to sit in the privacy and silence of the stacks to study or read or write. While I often got lost and wandered around like an idiot for several minutes trying to pretend I knew the difference between 3 Old and 3M Old (what is the ‘M’ for?!), I enjoyed being able to wander this building that holds so much history and knowledge.

Sitting in one of the cubbies, I would take breaks to read what students before me had scrawled into the wood, whether it was their initials, a crude joke, or a secret society.

So please, don’t take away this integral part of my UVA experience. As an undergrad I wouldn’t have been able to get to Ivy to see these books, and being immersed in them outside of their original location just wouldn’t have the same gravitas or historical importance as seeing them where they originally belonged – where they do belong.

Additionally, it would seem to make sense that the University would want students to use and take advantage of these volumes as much as possible, and moving them farther away deters students even further from actually picking up a physical copy of a book.

Perhaps it is because second floor Clemons is being converted into an advising space that the volumes in Alderman are proposed to be moved for more seating space, but I believe that preserving the tradition of this building and the stacks is significantly more important.

If you’re interested in getting involved, you can sign this petition asking to keep the books in Alderman. Additionally, there is a meeting on the 29th to discuss the future of the books, which the president of Alderman will be attending.

@HurricaneGray