A community college district in Texas is reclassifying newly hired academic librarians from faculty to professional staff, a move that has raised larger questions about how the nature of library work is valued and categorized in academe.
The policy is being described as a cost-saving measure in the face of a potential loss of $25 million in state funding to the Alamo Colleges over the next four years. Alamo includes San Antonio, St. Philip’s, Palo Alto, Northeast Lakeview and Northwest Vista Colleges, which teach, collectively, about 64,000 students.
Concern
I think librarians serving universities and colleges should have faculty status. We have specialized skills.