The Coalition for Higher Education Libraries
March 12, 2025
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By Krista Bowers Sharpe, Western Illinois University Libraries
In the summer of 2024, the Western Illinois University administration laid off all of their professional faculty librarians, one effective immediately and the rest effective on May 14, 2025 (see Adrienne Lu’s Chronicle article). In the aftermath of that action, John Miller, the president of UPI 4100, saw the need to convene state-wide discussions and began to gather interested parties together. There is now a broad-based coalition made up of schools represented by the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers (including University Professionals of Illinois and the Cook County College Teachers Union) in addition to unrepresented schools. John Miller and Nick Yelverton of the UPI/IFT are ex officio members.
Coalition members:
- Paula Dempsey, UIC Reference & Liaison Librarian
- Hunt Dunlap, WIU Systems Librarian
- Elizabeth Kamper, SIU-E Information Literacy Librarian
- Joe Kohlburn, SIU-E Scholarly Communications Librarian
- Cathy Lantz, UIC Reference & Liaison Librarian
- Nester Osorio, NIU Research & Instruction Librarian
- Gayle Porter, CSU Catalog Librarian
- Vanette Schwartz, ISU Social Sciences Librarian (Retired)
- Josh Sopiarz, GSU Operations & Reference Librarian
- Chris Straughn, NEIU Continuing Resources and Metadata Librarian
- Troy Swanson, Moraine Valley CC, Teaching & Learning Librarian
- Bill Thompson, WIU Reference Librarian (Retired)
Once assembled, The Coalition for Higher Education Libraries, representing Illinois institutions funded through appropriated dollars, began to address the current status of state academic librarians in light of the crisis at WIU. As a non-librarian, John Miller was able to ask questions that helped to frame the needs, opportunities, dangers, and strengths surrounding libraries and to make the next steps clearer. After considering various forms of action to pursue, the coalition settled on legislation because it will be best placed to influence leadership at institutions. Of course, there is no single, easy formula for what all libraries need, so the proposed legislation creates a task force to engage in fact finding: the University Library & Professional Librarian Access & Transparency Task Force.
Nick Yelverton, the IFT and UPI lobbyist in Springfield, provided examples of legislative language used in the formation of prior task forces. After an initial draft by Hunter Dunlap, the coalition members did extensive rewriting of a resolution. The full text of Senate Joint Resolution 0013 is available on the Illinois General Assembly page. Its goal is to find out the needs of libraries, to gauge the opportunity losses when libraries suffer, and the benefits to the economy at state and local levels when libraries thrive.
The task force would include members appointed by the senate president, the speaker of the house, the minority leaders of both bodies, the Illinois State Librarian, the IBHE, the Illinois Community College Board, CARLI, and CODSULI. The governor would appoint library faculty, students, and administrators from four-year and community colleges. Task force members have a comprehensive list of data points to gather, for example: the number and type of librarians, the conditions of their employment, the FTE number of students per librarian, funding levels, types of resources overseen, and the support for research and learning provided through librarians’ work.
For those in academia and state government employment, the creation of a task force may sound like more of the same. On the contrary, it is a vital first step towards passing further legislation to better secure the future of Illinois academic libraries. The task force will help with coalition building, assembling collaborative partnerships of stakeholders, and moving towards joint action. It has bipartisan support in its current senate form and the house version under development has bipartisan support as well. The education of all audiences, but particularly legislators, regarding the work and importance of librarians is key. To that effect, the coalition crafted talking points, organized under the broad areas of Student Success and Retention, Intellectual and Academic Freedom, Support Research & Development, Scholar-Practitioners, and Compliance and Regulation.
The work of The Coalition for Higher Education Libraries is advocacy, but the proposed legislation is crafted in a way that appeals to many with its evidence based, “small-c” conservative approach. As the legislation notes: “Illinois has a vested interest in ensuring that students enrolled in public, state-assisted universities have unfettered access to state-funded academic library resources and the services provided by professional librarian faculty” (Senate Joint Resolution 0013, 104th General Assembly, Illinois). For more information on the coalition or to obtain a copy of the talking points, you can contact John Miller at jmiller@upilocal4100.org.
[Update: SJR0013 passed out of committee 3/5/2025 and was placed on Calendar Order of Secretary's Desk Resolutions March 6, 2025]
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