Full Text of SJR0013

SJ0013 LRB104 08667 MST 18721 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 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; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is currently restructuring how millions of dollars of higher education funds are distributed, and those funds need to be appropriately, transparently distributed to academic libraries in support of student retention and academic success; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Library Association and other statewide organizations have endorsed the Statement on the Importance of Librarians in Academic Libraries issued by the Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI); and

WHEREAS, Professional librarian faculty possess the requisite expertise to select authoritative, diverse curricular resources, instruct users how to navigate an array of complex and evolving information data and formats, and provide an indispensable role in ensuring that state-purchased library materials and resources are properly organized, indexed, preserved and made fully accessible to foster student retention and academic success; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the University Library & Professional Librarian Access & Transparency Task Force is created to study the following:

(1) The role and impact of faculty librarians in the retention, persistence, and graduation of undergraduate students with a particular focus on students at risk, low-income students, first generation students, students of color, and marginalized students;

(2) The role faculty librarians play in the development of university curriculum, which should include support of teaching faculty in the creation of course content and requirements as well as resource collections to aid students;

(3) The role of faculty librarians in the creation of student and community makers spaces, study and student support spaces, and safe spaces;

(4) The assistance librarians provide to students, community, faculty, and staff in appropriately evaluating sources of information including emerging AI technology and creations;

(5) The role of faculty librarians in research and development;

(6) Academic libraries' collection processing decisions, including collection creation, collection weeding, repositories, and archives (university, legislative, historical, and cultural);

(7) The role faculty librarians serve to communities, including local economic development, entrepreneurial ventures, and innovation centers;

(8) Fiduciary roles faculty librarians provide in maintaining adequate and relevant library collections and databases;

(9) The impact of libraries on student fees/tuition, including cost saving services for student in the development of open access textbooks and resources;

(10) Description of the formats, types, and funding levels of state-appropriated library materials and e-resources budgeted by each of the Illinois Public Universities in relation to undergraduate/graduate student FTE enrollment;

(11) The types, titles, and number of library personnel employed at each Public University, including employees holding an MLS/MLIS (i.e. an ALA-accredited program library degree), the number of professional librarian faculty in tenure/tenure-track (and non-tenurable) positions, and the number of library workers (para-professionals &/or civil service employees, also noting the number holding the MLS/MLIS degree); and

(12) The ratio of tenure/tenure-track (vs. non-tenurable position) professional librarian faculty to undergraduate/graduate student enrollment (FTE) per each Illinois Public University; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the following members, who shall serve without compensation:

(1) One member of the Illinois Senate appointed by the Senate President, who shall serve as co-chair;

(2) One member of the Illinois House appointed by the Speaker of the House, who shall serve as co-chair;

(3) One member of the Illinois Senate appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;

(4) One member of the Illinois House appointed by the House Minority Leader;

(5) The Illinois State Librarian, or his or her designee;

(6) The Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, or his or her designee;

(7) The Chair of the Illinois Community College Board, or his or her designee;

(8) The Executive Director of the Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), or his or her designee, appointed by the Governor;

(9) The Chair of the Council of Directors of State University Libraries in Illinois (CODSULI), or his or her designee, appointed by the Governor;

(10) Eight members from organizations representing various facets of an academic library, including tenure/tenured track and adjunct faculty (they should be evenly divided between community colleges and public universities), appointed by the Governor;

(11) Two full-time students representing public university students, appointed by the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education;

(12) Two full-time students representing community college students (one from a rural area and one from an urban/suburban community college), appointed by the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education;

(13) Two part-time students from public universities and community colleges, appointed by the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education;

(14) A public university president or his or her designee, appointed by the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education;

(15) A community college president or his or her designee, appointed by Chair of the Illinois Community College Board; and

(16) A president or representative from a private, non-profit college or university, appointed by the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board shall provide administrative support for the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall conduct a minimum of two public hearings in at least two different counties within the State at the call of the co-chairs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall convene a wide array of stakeholders to examine the current state of libraries and professional librarianship on Illinois public university campuses and present a recommendation to the General Assembly to ensure that public academic libraries and the educational services provided by professional librarian faculty remains a viable and healthy benefit to Illinois students; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit its final report to the General Assembly no later than June 30, 2026, and upon the filing of its final report, is dissolved; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader, the House Minority Leader, the Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Chair of the Illinois Community College Board, and the Governor.