Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to share some brief information about internal organizational changes underway within the University Library. No library locations are closing, there will be no impact on services or collections, and we are not reducing faculty or staff (only internal reporting lines may change).
Over the past several months, the Library engaged in a reorganization project designed to strengthen internal collaboration, eliminate gaps in responsibility, reduce duplicative effort, improve operational effectiveness, and better align our structure with institutional priorities and future strategic directions. As we move into implementation, we will be forming transition teams, conducting leadership searches for several newly configured units, and refreshing plans to support long-term service excellence and academic engagement.
A key principle guiding this work is that Library services will continue to be available to the campus community throughout the transition, no locations will close, and we are not reducing faculty or staff. Ultimately, I hope we can expand our personnel investments and improve our ability to serve as a critical partner in research, teaching, creative activity, and student success.
The most immediate changes involve the consolidation of administrative oversight across some library units. These changes will create opportunities for greater collaboration while preserving subject librarianship, service delivery, and user access across locations.
Seven campus-facing library units will be combined into three administrative units, while retaining their separate physical locations and names. The new administrative units will consist of:
1. Ricker Library of Art and Architecture and the Music and Performing Arts libraries
2. The Math and Chemistry libraries
3. Literatures and Languages; History, Philosophy and Newspaper; and the International and Area Studies libraries (all located inside the Main Library)
Central library services will be recombined and will operate under new names (names are still under discussion):
The Teaching, Learning and Academic Support and Central Access Services units will be partly reorganized into a new teaching and student success unit and a reference, information and access services unit.
We will strengthen and adjust our approach to library-wide leadership and coordination in a number of areas such as:
• Advanced research support services, including the subject librarianship
• User experience and assessment
• Reference and information services
• Student access and affordability, in particular around course content
• In future phases, digital programs and strategies
I would greatly appreciate your suggestions regarding additional communication strategies or opportunities for engagement that could help ensure broad understanding and constructive feedback. Our subject librarian faculty will be reaching out directly to their disciplinary colleagues with additional information, and to offer opportunities for library leaders to meet to hear potential concerns, discuss possible directions, and so forth.
I am also happy to discuss the changes in more detail with you or your leadership teams and to participate in conversations with any groups that may find such discussions helpful.
Thank you for your advice and partnership as we undertake this important work. Our goal is always to improve and expand service to our campus community.
We will update information moving forward on this site: https://go.library.illinois.edu/reorg
Sincerely,
Claire Stewart
Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian
Professor, University Library
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign