The College Fix

Harvard will offer a voluntary retirement package to library employees who are at least 55 years old and have served the university for more than 10 years. The retirement package is part of Harvard’s efforts to consolidate its many libraries and eliminate some of the 930 (!) full-time employees who operate them.

But since every last librarian is sacred to the Occupy movement, protesters have already arrived at a Harvard library cafe, and they demand equality for librarians. Or something:

“I hope it makes people aware that the Occupy movement is ongoing, and it’s building toward the future,” said Rudi Batzell, a doctoral student in history. “I think that the location [of the occupation] here is important, especially with ongoing library restructuring. It’s a show of solidarity with the library staff.” …

Protesters say that the purpose of the new occupation, which they call the “New Harvard Library Occupation,” aligns with the goals of the national Occupy movement that began in September.

“It’s a different movement, but a continuation of the same ideals,” Pope said.

Batzell added, “I hope that it will raise awareness that the Occupy movement is alive and growing. I hope it will connect the local struggle of library layoffs to larger issues of inequality and workers rights globally.”

Ah yes, the Harvard librarians: toiling endlessly in university dungeons, transcribing textbooks until the bones in their fingers break, while cruel overlords pelt them with encyclopedias.

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