The future of education is being compromised at Penn State.

Not just through the decline of state appropriations and the rise of tuition, but because of the availability of academic resources.

Last Tuesday, at the University Faculty Senate meeting, an informational report presented a problem within the library system, which could eventually result in the decline of the university's academic reputation.

According to the report, if the library continues to purchase hard copies of serial journals, it will run out of money by 2015.

As a result, the libraries have taken several steps in an attempt to maintain lower spending.

These attempts include eliminating duplicate copies across print and electronic formats, signing deals with publishers to ensure more electronic access and exploring the idea of placing journals entirely online.

It is important for the university to recognize that this issue must be taken care of immediately and not be placed on an agenda 10 years from now.

The time that it will take to sign deals with publishers and transfer material to online format is not a task that can be done overnight.

Unfortunately, time is of the essence for the library, and the longer they wait, the larger the problem will become.

However, it is encouraging to see that Penn State has recognized the problem and is already attempting to find the necessary solutions.

The Penn State libraries have a reputation to uphold, and without providing the best services possible, that reputation will be compromised.

The university must find the means necessary to maintain its academic status, and current brainstorming must turn into action within the next few years.

However, Penn State is not to blame.

Publishers in the academic field are continuously increasing the prices of their journals.

That makes it difficult for Penn State to remain up-to-date with current issues in specific fields.

Penn State is attempting to train the future contributors to these journals, and without the information provided by these journals, students will not be receiving the best education possible.

Therefore, these future contributors will not be able to provide sufficient academic material to these journals if they do not have access to up-to-date material.

If Penn State wants to remain a well-respected university and a high-quality educational provider, then it must remain proactive and continue to support its library systems.