Reductions for 2024-2025
As part of university-wide budget cuts, the Library is facing reductions in several areas during the 2024/25 year.
The Library is facing an 8% cut, amounting to a reduction of more than $2 million from our overall budget.
The university has also provided some supports for the Library budget, including:
- an increase to the base collections budget used to buy books, journals, database subscriptions, and other library materials, to protect against currency exchange fluctuations.
- an increase to address rising costs for both collections and operating costs at the Library.
However, even with these increases, it is not possible to stay within our budget for the year and leave library hours, services, and collections unaffected. We are considering usage data, input from library staff, and feedback from library users in making difficult decisions about where to reduce.
How we are addressing the reductions
In all cases, our goal is to minimize the impact on students, researchers, and other library users.
Associate Dean for Collections and Content Strategy, Mar González Palacios is leading consultations about reductions on the collections side, which will include cancellation of some subscriptions and other content. For more information, see Collection Cost Reduction Plan 2024.
On the operating side, we have made changes to opening hours at all library locations. See Library service and hours changes for details.
We are also planning several changes internally, including:
- Leaving vacant positions unfilled
- Cancellation of some institutional memberships
- Eliminating library sponsorship of community events
- Reducing or cancelling public events put on by the library
- Reducing the budget for computer and equipment replacement
- Reducing the budget for staff learning and development, travel, and conference attendance
We look forward to recovery of the university’s budget in the coming years, and the restoration of the Library’s budget. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Comments and questions
Feedback can be sent to Gwen Bird, :