Thank you for Michael J. Arvizu’s article informing us of the recent increase in theft and vandalism at our library (April 26). I was very disappointed to learn that we had so many immature and selfish people who evidently do not think twice about what impact their behavior has on the rest of the college community.

The library is without a doubt the most important facility at any college or university. Why people would want to steal from it is hard to figure out. Don’t the people who are stealing library materials know that they can borrow the stuff? It seems to me that if these individuals applied the same amount of time and ingenuity to their studies as they do to trying to defeat the libraries’ security systems, they just might have a more rewarding experience at GCC.

In the same issue of El Vaquero a student complained in the Campus Round-up about the apparent lack of computer terminals at the library. It seems when this person went to “e-mail” or do “homework,” “someone is always on the computer.” The reason for this is another abuse of the library, people e-mailing and doing homework at a place designed to complement the research activities of serious students. The author of this letter should consider doing their non-library-related computer work in one of the many well-equipped, free, and seldom crowded labs set up on campus for that purpose.

The GCC library is a wonderful resource. It easily outclasses those found at colleges of a similar size and, in fact, rivals those of many small cities. Its collection, facilities and staff deserve our highest level of respect.

-Stephen A. Haase