Ontario Academic Librarians Speak

Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations

Methodology• OCUFA invited academic librarians at Ontario

universities to respond to an on-line questionnaire.

• The questions addressed organizational restructuring, the impact of budget cuts and service changes over the past 3 years.

• More than 200 responses from all Ontario universities, representing a response rate in excess of 30 per cent, were received between September 13 and October 12, 2010.

2

Age16% under 3435% 35-4425% 45-5422% 55-642% Over 65

91% full time permanent 4% full time contract 4% part time permanent

78% female22% male

Years of service 2% less than 1 year16% 1 to 523% 6 to 1018% 11 to 15 9% 16 to 2032% over 20 years

Respondent demographics

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Significant organizational change is occurring across all Ontario university libraries…

• 69% reported organizational change or restructuring

• 33% report that they have held the same position for the past 3 years but the duties have changed

“Restructuring appears to be used to reduce the number of professional librarians and therefore

the services provided by them.”4

Changes are positive for…

5

Changes to collections practices

Delays in technology investments

6

Written comments emphasize

• budget constraints, technology advancements and expanded student enrolments• impact on staff morale, assignment of

additional duties, no new hires, imposed decisions from senior management• concern about further changes or cuts

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Changing programs and services

• Respondents report that organizational changes have enhanced the amount of digital and technological investments that impact collections, service offerings, outreach, and scholarly support

• Respondents also report reduced staffing positions, reduced services, and less attention being paid to the collection

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New areas most frequently noted: • Assessment• Public relations• Undergraduate

experience• Scholarly

communications• Digitization• New/emerging

technologies

“There seems to be a push to always try

something new, even with reduced staff.

The ‘something new’ does not replace

previous activities but rather is only

added to them”

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Budget constraints

10

Budget constraints impact library personnel…

• 71% of respondents agree that attrition has been used as a budget reduction tool

• 39% note increased use of contract staff• 34% agree that early retirement incentives

have been used“Much more emphasis on farming out work to committees - not hiring the professional to do

the job.”11

Personnel Tactics to Meet Budgetary Constraints

“…positions are left vacant, positions

disappear, our numbers are

dwindling.”

12

Reductions in services

13

Changes in Tasks“We are forced to outsource

our cataloguing and processing of books…. The

quality of the online catalogue will suffer - is already

suffering”

14

Representative comments

• Written responses highlighted No maternity or sabbatical leave

replacements Restructuring positions to reduce headcount

“Virtually all departments have suffered from very significant staff reductions.”

“Staffing… positions are left vacant, positions disappear, our numbers are dwindling.”

15

Budget constraints impact operations…

• 67% of respondents agree that changes to collections practices have been instituted

• 49% agree that technology investments have been delayed

• 39% agree that support for faculty and students has been reduced

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“Collection development and cataloguing have been slashed.”

• 40% report services previously done within university libraries are now outsourced

• Written comments highlight cataloguing, acquisitions, collection development and technological services

• Some tasks are also now provided by other staff: reference, cataloguing etc.

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• “We now operate for 4 semesters. Students are taking courses and profs are teaching the full year -- there is no down time.”

• “ More Librarian energies have been put towards communication/marketing/outreach than before. We hired a librarian to focus on this. It's half of her job. The ripple effect has been great. “

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• “The Office of the University Librarian was considerably expanded increasing the number of Librarian positions that are under the direct control of the UL. “

• “Administration offices expanded at expense of research collections, group study space for students expanded at expense of collections, print reference collections moved out of sight lines by the UL's demand. Most reductions have affected access the Humanities and Social Sciences print collection (and yes, these are still heavily used!), and reference services.”

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Workload

“Staff reductions of all kinds, with expectation of greater service by

remaining staff

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Individual librarians feel the impact

• 70% report increased workloads • 42% report fewer opportunities to pursue

individual research or scholarship• 41% report fewer professional development

opportunities• Overwhelming written comments emphasize

increased workloads squeezing out professional development and research opportunities

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Time to pursue other activities

22

Perception of senior management

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Collegiality between academic librarians and managers is impacted…

• 74% agree that senior managers make most major decisions

• 44% report that they had no involvement in decisions made in organizational changes

• 32% disagree that working in their library feels like being part of a team

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Senior library management negatively perceived…

• 46% agree that trust levels are low within university libraries

• 40% disagree that their library has a clear long-term purpose and strategy

• 38% disagree that senior managers have high credibility

“…there is not enough leadership, we stumble along through each crisis without creating the

avenues for long-term revitalization”25

Most major decisions are made by the senior management team

“As librarians, we are not generally included or even kept up to date about overall plans…”

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Our library has a clear long-term

purpose and direction

The senior management team

has a short-term orientation

27

Senior management team has high

credibility in this library

Involved in the decision making

process about the proposed changes

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What Next?

• Inform faculty colleagues and discuss findings – February OCUFA Board Meeting

• OLA • Explore implications for collective bargaining• Share findings with library associations and

librarian committees• Monitor other surveys and studies• Follow-up survey, Fall 2012

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Canary in a coalmine• Outsourcing vs. traditional co-operation• Workload squeezing out scholarship and service– Isolation– Decision making– Academic NOT Librarianship

• Restructuring– Library services and collections– Members' professional work and scope

• Enhanced managerialism: – collegiality, trust, short term orientation