In an effort to combat a budget shortfall of more than $1 million, Emory University Libraries terminated the employment of 27 full- and part-time staff and librarians Wednesday.
“These reductions are based on elimination of work where job requirements have diminished or been consolidated, technology is being implemented, or cost effective alternatives have been identified,” Vice Provost and Director of the Emory Libraries Rick Luce wrote in an e-mail to the Wheel.
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Luce wrote that the library strives to become more efficient, which includes centralizing support for branch services, consolidating service desks, downsizing the back office for collection acquisitions and examining services that are redundant across several locations.
“We are taking these painful steps with a sense of regret, but also with gratitude for the contributions of our departing colleagues,” Luce said in an interview with the Emory Report.
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“The cuts to MARBL’s [Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library] collections acquisitions budget will not be as deep as the cuts in the general acquisitions budget,” Luce wrote.
“We cannot lose our momentum in one of the areas of strength here at Emory that … is closing in on eminence,” he added.
Luce wrote that majority of the recent job reductions affected those with back-office positions who do not directly interact with students.
Source: Emory Wheel (via UWire)
