Through the Lens of the University Librarian
At the February Friends of the Texas A&M University Libraries board meeting, University Librarian & Assistant Provost Julie Mosbo Ballestro shared a clear view on actions underway at the Libraries resulting from President Welsh's Quick Look Assessment of the Path Forward Implementation.
First, the Libraries' current service model will remain in place and $3.3 million will be added to the operating budget to support the services needed across the university. This amount includes adding back the $2.4 million previously swept from the operating budget with an additional $900,000 in funding to support salary adjustments. Commitment of these resources has allowed for appropriate increases in salaries, which in turn has generated increased interest from highly qualified applicants for open positions at the Libraries. The hiring process is in full swing as is the training of new staff. Hiring and training is being conducted in waves to allow for maximum manageability.
Second, the Quick Look Assessment identified the need for a rapid campus-wide space allocation study to identify proper siting of units and offices displaced by The Path Forward, and to address other space allocation issues including student study space on West Campus. The planned loss of the Medical Sciences Library (MSL) space on the west campus will be reconsidered in the context of the space allocation study. Plans underway to expand the library located at the Health Science Center (HSC) campus in Bryan will continue, with the HSC providing funding to support the expansion and lease costs. Renaming of the MSL and Business Library and Collaboration Commons (BLCC) will remain on hold pending results of the space allocation study.
Mobso Ballestro also gave focus to the following two University Libraries topics of interest:
The Texas A&M University Press has been brought back under the University Libraries umbrella. This action restores a relationship initially established in August of 2018 when the University Press integrated with the Libraries to promote the educational, research, and outreach mission of Texas A&M.
Recent conversations with the COO of the Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen (HECM) have centered around a need for, and an interest in, a library and library services on the McAllen campus.
Finally, Mosbo Ballestro shared her appreciation with the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors for sponsoring and funding the annual University Libraries Staff Longevity Awards. She emphasized how recognizing and celebrating staff loyalty in this way positively reinforces the value they bring to the university and all the Aggies they serve!