Editors Note: This article has been updated since publication to correct the misspelling of a source's name.
A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Western Libraries. Since university President Sabah Randhawa shared updates on Western’s financial deficit, Western Libraries’ administration has reallocated staffing resources, decreasing its offered services and shutting its doors every Saturday.
Gabe Gossett, the head of the Hacherl Research and Writing Studio, has worked at Western Libraries since 2009. He described the library’s depleting resources as a “slow burn,” as he has seen its budget decrease from the beginning of his employment. Now, cuts from Western’s administration have increased, becoming unpredictable.
“It’s hard to know: what do we plan for? We don’t even know whether all of our colleagues will be here next year,” Gossett said.
In the last round of cuts, multiple vacant, full-time positions were eliminated.
In another university admin decision, those in the Technology & Discovery Services division were moved to the Academic Technology and User Services department, eliminating the specialized department that specifically oversaw library technology.
Gossett said this decision was not collaborative and feels the administration should have further consulted with library personnel before making it.
“It just doesn’t seem like they had all the information in order to make such a dramatic decision,” Gossett said.
On its website, Western displays its model for shared governance. Before these most recent cuts, Gossett said the process for reallocating resources and redesigning the libraries’ catalog of programs was more collaborative among general university administration and library faculty.
Now, according to Gossett, the way the administration is navigating budget cuts doesn’t feel like such.
“It’s much less deliberate, and it seems like we mostly get informed about something and then we have to react to it,” Gossett said.
On April 1, Western’s Faculty Senate approved a resolution stating the administration should reverse the shift in technological resources, return collections budget allocations and work with Western Libraries administration to “address personnel capacity inadequacies.”
Peter Hedlund, who worked as a student at the writing studio from 2017 through 2019, said his writing tutor job is why he decided to be a teacher. Going to the library and speaking with the librarians gave him the confidence to speak up in class.
“I pretty much lived at the library when I was in college,” Hedlund said.
Since the beginning of spring quarter, Western Libraries have been closed on Saturdays. Library personnel made the decision due to limited personnel and hours.
To Hedlund, weekends at the library were special. He felt he could slow down and take his time on assignments, all the while connecting with students over their respective projects.
First-year student Megan Connelly says she uses the library as a decompression space and a place to be alone, as she lives on campus with roommates. Having the library open as many days and hours as possible leaves it as an option for her to get out of the dorms, something she said is hard to do as a new student.
Multiple campus organizations have called on the university to preserve and reinstate funding when possible. Western’s Faculty Senate passed a library-focused resolution in early April.
Weeks later, the Associated Students Senate and Executive Board presented their own proposal to the administration.
“The library is a resource for everyone in some capacity. And there’s very few things at Western that you can truly say are a resource for everyone,” said AS Senate President Moose Abou-Harb.
On Sunday, April 27, Washington lawmakers passed the state’s 2025-2027 budget, which will shape much of Western Libraries’ future. In a statement, Randhawa said Western must make about $13 million in budget cuts to maintain a financial equilibrium. He said a final plan detailing the new budget’s impacts will be out before the new fiscal year, which starts July 1.
Hailey LeRoy (she/he/they) is a campus news reporter for The Front. She is a third-year environmental journalism major. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her skating with the Bellingham Roller Betties, singing choral music, or perfecting elaborate eyeshadow looks. You can reach them at haileyleroy.thefront@gmail.com.
