After being a resource to students for more than 60 years, the Economics and Sociology Reading Room, 368 Heady Hall, closes Thursday.

Due to budget cuts, the sociology and economics departments had to choose different assets to eliminate during the past several years, and although the reading room has made the cut before, it is finally time to close its doors.

“We started having cuts four years ago,” said Arne Hallam, professor and chairman of economics. “It was always one of the items we discussed, but we always decided not to close the room in the past.”

Hallam says that, due to the availability of resources online, the value of the reading room as a repository of scientific journals and public documents has decreased.

Back copies of most journals used by faculty and students are now available electronically through Parks Library using a program called JSTOR, Hallam said. During the past five years, he said the economics department alone has had to give up all of its open faculty positions, lay off five clerical employees, move a number of professors and scientific employees to grant and contract funds and reduce its operating budget.

“The biggest loss from the closing of the reading room will be as a place for students to study and for economics and sociology faculty to place materials on course reserve,” Hallam said.

The more than 10,000 catalogued volumes in the reading room will be moved to the general collection at Parks Library.

“The main library went through all of the books and the ones they didn’t have, or thought important to have a second copy of, they took to the library,” Hallam said. “The rest will be sold at the university warehouse.”

Debra Moore, supervisor of the reading room for the past 23 years, said she understands the need for closing the room.

“I am sad to be losing my job here,” Moore said, “but I agree with the decision, and I understand why we’re being cut.”

David Gregory, associate dean of research and access for the university library, said Moore will continue to work in public services. The duties will be similar to the work she has done in the reading room.

Moore said she will miss her job in the reading room.

“I’ve really liked it over here,” Moore said.

“You take a job and you don’t think it will be forever. This was just a great fit for me.”

Gregory said the extra books at the library will not require extra staff and will not have an impact on the number of students the library hires.

Gregory said the books will be merged easily into the collection on the third floor of Parks Library.

“We already have an existing social services collection here at the library,” Gregory said.

“The sociology and economics books from the reading room will be integrated into that collection.”

Gregory said it is routine for books to be sold from the libraries through the university warehouse.

He also said that books are chosen for sale by their age and low use and also because Iowa State may own duplicate copies already.

“It probably would have been more useful if all the economics books were sold at the same time and all faculty and students would have had the first shot on buying them,” Hallam said.

“Someone will probably buy them in bulk and resell them, so now they are kind of lost to the university.”