Hello everyone,

So much is happening all of a sudden that it’s hard to know where to start.

All of you have heard about our space planning consultants for the Libraries who are coming for their first visit on April 3-4. The firm is Shepley Bulfinch, who are very well-known among research libraries.  I encourage you all to look at their website if you haven’t yet.  The Libraries are paying them out of our lapsed salary funds, which is money we have from unfilled positions. The consultants are reporting to us, not Campus Facilities, although of course Facilities will be part of the meetings.  I know several research library directors who have used Shepley Bulfinch, and they all were extremely happy with the results.  Please try to come to the Staff Advisory Group meeting with them, as well as any other meeting you may be invited to.  We will be talking about both short and long term planning, and will have continuing interaction with them until we get their report in July.  We have already sent them floor plans and much information. They will bring ideas for new possibilities and the opportunity to think creatively about all our library spaces.  (We will not be able to raise money for major renovations until we have a plan.)

The library depository addition project manager will also be here on Thursday April 4 so she can interact with the space consultants.  The depository addition project is on again, with campus funding, and we hope to complete it in early 2021 or sooner.  No additional word on the proposed one stop shop; I hope we will get word after break.

Also right after break we have another candidate for the Associate University Librarian for Special Collections, Archives, Rare Books and Digitization.  Please come hear him on Tuesday, April 2 at his open presentation or join us on Zoom.

Last week I had a meeting with campus and system leaders to talk about open access publishing in light of the news that the University of California Libraries have declined to renew a contract with the publisher Elsevier, who is well known for high impact journals and extremely high prices.  This may develop into big changes, and I will keep you posted.  So far, President Choi has decided to appoint a system-wide group including librarians to study the issues involved.

For those of you taking some time off next week, have a safe and happy break.  See you in April.

—Ann Campion Riley