ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Controversy over Personnel Policy

ACRL has entered the battle between the California State University and Colleges librarians and the chancellor’s office of the system over the new personnel policy for librarians (see the JuneNews under Miscellany). Calling the policy vague and unreasonable, Norman Tanis (as president-elect of ACRL) has written Glenn Dumke, chancellor of the state system, requesting the policy’s withdrawal and asking for librarian input in setting new standards. The text of the Tanis letter follows:

The American Library Association and its academic division, The Association of College and Research Libraries, has shown an active concern in the matter of academic status for the librarians of California State Universities and Colleges since 1969 when representatives of ALA met with the Chancellor and members of his staff. We are therefore dismayed to find that FSA 73-25 was recently issued without consultation with librarians, library directors, the faculties of the California State University and Colleges, and the Academic Senate.

FSA 73-25 is vague, unreasonable in its requirements, and makes demands upon the librarians which California State University and Colleges does not provide the means to accomplish. It continues to block real and effective peer judgement and control of promotional machinery at the campus level. The document does not promote the high level of professional contribution which the California Universities and Colleges deserve from their librarians.

Because the requirements of adequate and full consultation with faculty and Academic Senate have not been met (Board of Trustee adoption October 26, 1967 meeting of a resolution entitled “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities,” AAUP Bulletin 52 (Winter, 1966) 375-9) we now ask you to withdraw FSA 73-25 in order to allow real and meaningful consultation with the Academic Senate, the librarians themselves, and library directors.

Because an adequate library is the basis of teaching, study, and research and a major criterion in judging the strength of the library is the quality of the library faculty and staff, we request that FSA 73-25 be withdrawn with a view toward seeking adequate consultation as a preliminary step to a new document.