Libraries Committee FY2026


Committee Details:

Committee: Libraries Committee
Committee Category: Standing Committees of the University Senate
Fiscal Year: FY2026

Members

  • Chair: Steve Bien-Aime, Journalism & Mass Communications, Faculty, Voting, 2027
  • Eun Ah Cho, East Asian Languages & Cultures, Faculty, Voting, 2028
  • Claire Willey-Sthapit , Social Welfare, Faculty, Voting, 2028
  • Hartwin Peelaers, CLAS, Faculty, Voting, 2028
  • Eric Weisbrod, Business, Faculty, Voting, 2027
  • Aimee Armande Wilson, Interdisciplinary Studies, CLAS, Faculty, Voting, 2027
  • Van Kelly, International & Interdisciplinary Studies, CLAS, Faculty, Voting, 2027
  • Min-young Kim, Education & Human Sciences, Faculty, Voting, 2027
  • Marla Weaver, Dole Institute of Politics, Staff, Voting, 2027
  • Casey Franklin, Architecture & Design, Faculty, Voting, 2026
  • Robert Schwaller, History, CLAS, Faculty, Voting, 2026
  • Yi-Yang Chen, Music, Faculty, Voting, 2026
  • Nathan Tran, Student, Voting 2026
  • Chris Bohling, UPS Library Staff, Ex-officio, Non-voting
  • Debbra Peres, USS Library Staff, Ex-officio, Non-voting
  • Josh Bolick, Associate Librarian, Ex-officio, Non-voting
  • Pam Crawford, Law Librarian, Ex-officio, Non-voting
  • Michael Peper, Associate Librarian, Ex-officio, Non-voting
  • Carol Smith, Dean of Libraries, Ex-officio, Non-voting 

Charges

Standing Charges

  1. Monitor and support the Libraries’ long-range planning and allocation of resources—staff, physical space, equipment, collections, digitally-based information, artificial intelligence, etc.—in light of the needs of different academic disciplines and the budget situation. Assist in communicating about planning resource allocations to support teaching (including both undergraduate and graduate) and research. Report issues and recommendations for action to SenEx.
  2. Assess and assist with the effectiveness of communication and space utilization between the Libraries and students, faculty, and staff, about topics including, but not limited to, library-based instruction in classes and academic programs in support of university-wide learner outcomes. Report issues and recommendations for action to SenEx.
  3. Obtain a report from the Open Access Advisory Board concerning activities and long-range planning for Open Access at KU.
  4. FY2026: According to the Open Access Policy for University of Kansas Scholars, the policy should be reviewed every three years. The policy was last reviewed and updated in FY2023 (http://policy.ku.edu/governance/open-access-policy).

Specific Charges

  1. Work with the KU Libraries Strategic Action Team to help communicate to campus the difficulties of maintaining access to scholarship with a stagnant Collections budget.
  2. Evaluate the physical and digital accessibility of the library resources.
  3. Continue monitoring the progress of the Watson Library renovation project, as well as other KU Libraries capital projects.
  4. Consider expanding the Open Access Policy to include staff and students, rather than only faculty. Collaborate with the Open Access Advisory Board (see FY2023 and FY2024 Final Reports).

 

Meeting Minutes

Libraries Committee Meeting Minutes - Oct 28, 2025
Libraries Committee Meeting Minutes - Dec 8, 2025

Libraries Committee FY2026