Momentum He toured three universities in Barquisimeto to find out about the conditions in which the staff work and was able to verify that, for the most part, the universities work “halfway”, after the countless damages that there are in these educational spaces, mainly in the libraries.
Author: Luis Daniel Cambero / The Impulse
Lack of budget, damage to the infrastructure and hundreds of books that have been lost as a result of leaks and humidity is the scenario that is repeated in most of the public university libraries in Lara state, where in many cases they must work as they can and for days to serve young people who come to these spaces for the acquisition, conservation, study and exhibition of books and documents.
Momentum He toured three universities in Barquisimeto to find out how they are working in these archives and it was found that most of them work “halfway”, after the countless damages that can be found in these spaces.
Damaged books in the UPEL library
Nostalgia is the feeling that invades those in charge of the Francisco Lira Library of the Libertador Experimental Pedagogical University (UPEL) when they recall what this educational space was like a few years ago and the “not very pleasant present” that they claim to live after decadence, damage and losses they have suffered.
“Currently we have a not very pleasant situation, we have many sources that must be attacked, especially the undergraduate area that is contaminated, there are leaks and we also have termite contamination,” said Lorena Canela, in charge of the library.
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The graduate regretted having lost “too much bibliographic material”, having to throw away books from areas such as education and psychology, which had to be discarded due to the damage they suffered as a result of the leaks that live in the library, counting to date at least 300 copies.
Change of space at UCLA
One of the libraries that have had to move to other spaces due to the damage suffered in their previous headquarters, has been the Dean of Veterinary Sciences of the Lisandro Alvarado Central Western University (UCLA), where the lack of maintenance caused detriment, this after the collapse of the wooden roof that caused water seepage.
Ana Oquendo, coordinator of the UCLA Veterinary Library, assured that one of her greatest regrets has been the loss of intellectual production, not only in this space but in that of other deans, highlighting that “there are degree theses that have not been recovered, that has happened at least in the Library of Medicine, where all the part of the intellectual production was lost, because it was contaminated the area and that information cannot be recovered.”
“Apart from the fact that the staff that have left have not been renewed and those of us who remain have to act as heads, secretaries, messengers, all kinds of work so that the library does not stop,” added the library science graduate.
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In UCLA itself, but in the Dean of Economic and Business Sciences, they have had to close the basement space, where the newspaper library, magazines, laws, and degree projects are located, due to the lack of air conditioners and up-to-date equipment that allow the job properly.
camachocoordinator of this library, stated that “The conditions are not suitable for working down there, some computers are damaged, there are several things, several points that do not allow us to work down there. We have not bought material for a long time either, we are only working with material from a long time ago, we also have problems with the Alexandria System that in some libraries it works like it doesn’t in others”, he commented when referring to the system that allows lending books and their location.
Thefts and leaks at Unexpo
For his part, in the National Experimental Polytechnic University Antonio José de Sucre (UNEXPO) they have suffered various thefts andThe library has not been separated of this, leaving this learning area without energy and basic services, added to the damages due to the lack of public investment that has caused leaks and damage to the books.
“We don’t have water service, they took high-cost cables, they’ve already taken 40 shelves, they’re starting to loot and destroy things. there is pollution, there are books that are damaged and you have to do a purge because then it contaminates the others,” he mentioned. yasmin silvacoordinator of the Unexpo Library, when mentioning some of the main problems.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Despite this reality that universities are experiencing, this has made the will of the students, representatives, professors and authorities of these houses of higher education to find solutions together and “get ahead” with the intention of recovering many of the spaces in the houses of study.
At UCLA, students and professors have been presenting projects to generate their own income, “we are presenting a project where we are going to provide services such as photocopying, creditworthiness, teaching courses, among other things, and each unit, depending on its function, will be able to present a project.
“We are trying to get out with the same studentswith the same staff, with the same authorities because we have a vocation for service and we want to work, they are not going to stop us,” he said. oquendo.
At UPEL and Unexpo, despite all the damage suffered in the libraries, they continue to provide the service “half”, but they work for days to provide support to students who require a bibliographical reference or a book that helps them extend their knowledge. In the area.
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