UCI Libraries Budget Reductions
Last spring, anticipating significant budget reductions, University Librarian Gerry Munoff proposed to Executive Vice Chancellor Gottfredson the formation of a campus task force to consider major strategic issues and priorities for the future of a significantly smaller UCI Libraries. The EVC agreed and such a group will be convened in February 2010.
Over the last 10 years, the Libraries have experienced tremendous growth, strengthened traditional collections and services, responded to changes and evolution of scholarly communication and information technology, and developed innovative programs and pioneering digital initiatives. This has resulted in a first rate library that has provided high quality services and collections that exceed what is normally provided by a library of its size.
The budget for the Libraries for 2009-10 includes a 20%, reduction beyond salary cuts, in addition to a previous 5% cut for 2008-09. This substantial reduction requires major and fundamental changes in how the library operates and what services and resources are provided. While the UCI Libraries must significantly reduce expenditures it must also continue to address new and evolving priorities and innovations.
The Libraries will undertake an extensive consultation with the entire campus to be informed of student and faculty views of priorities, tradeoffs, and compromises in order to provide the most essential services and collections for research and instruction. This consultation is planned to use a variety of techniques to elicit the broadest and most representative response from the entire campus.
As part of this consultation, the task force will be broadly representative of the campus community and will consider options for efficiently obtaining perspectives from stakeholder groups and for recommending major library strategic issues and priorities for the next 3 to 5 years.
As always, the Libraries appreciate the patience and flexibility of students, faculty, and staff during these difficult economic times.
For more information, contact Deborah Stansbury Sunday (dsunday@uci.edu or x44716).