A message from the provost: Restoration of library budget cuts

Dear Carolina Community,

Many of you may recall that the budget for the campus libraries decreased last year as part of the University’s campuswide efforts to address budget challenges. After months of collaboration with several departments and the University Libraries, it is my pleasure to share with you that Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz has restored the $3.7 million cut from libraries’ funding starting in the FY 2022 budget. This $3.7 million is recurring funding and will be recurring funding moving forward.

Carolina’s libraries are integral partners for research, learning, creativity and clinical care on our campus. Faculty, students, staff and our entire community count on access to a strong library system with robust and growing collections.

Important work remains to be done. Inflation in the cost of library materials, specifically the licensing of academic journals, poses an ongoing challenge to university budgets everywhere, including at Carolina, and we are working to address this issue.

I am committed to supporting the University Libraries in meeting the needs of our campus. I will continue working with library and campus leadership to ensure our campus community has open, sustainable and affordable access to scholarly resources.

Sincerely,

J. Christopher Clemens
Provost and Chief Academic Officer