Graduate and Professional Student Assembly - Resolution 3 (2025-2026)

Call for Protection and Increased Support of Cornell University Library

• Term:
  2025-2026
• Assembly:
  Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
• Status: Submitted to the President
• Abstract: This resolution calls on the Cornell University administration to protect Cornell University Library, which includes all library spaces, services, and collections, from further budget cuts and to reverse budget cuts already made. We call for these actions to be taken so that Cornell University Library can be better supported in its mission to provide access to materials necessary for the research that is at the core of this institution. This in turn allows Cornell University Library to better support students, particularly graduate and professional students.

• See full resolution

  Whereas, a vital part of the graduate and professional programs that we undertake here at Cornell is the research that we do.  

  Whereas, good research is built on previous research.

  Whereas, Cornell University Library is the sole unit on campus that provides access to previous research, both internal and external, through its subscriptions to journals and its physical collections. 

  Whereas, Cornell University Library has been made to cut approximately 10% of its allocated budget for this next year which amounts to nearly $5,000,000.

  Whereas, this newest budget cut is on top of nearly $7,300,000 in cuts that have been made over the past 15 years.

  Whereas, Cornell University Library is at its lowest staffing levels in 25 years with the new budget cuts increasing this staffing shortage by necessitating the cancellation of hiring for 17 positions.

  Whereas, in 2001 there were 36 students per library employee at Cornell compared to the 78 students per library employee at the library today. 

  Whereas, these cuts are to the point that they are not cutting waste but rather cutting crucial resources necessary for Cornell University Library’s mission, including research and support staff as well as access to journals and acquisitions of new collections.

  Whereas, peer institutions including Duke University and Emory University have cut the budget of their libraries less respective to the rest of their campuses.

  Whereas, other peer institutions including the University of Michigan, NYU, and Dartmouth University have not cut the budgets of their libraries at all under the same economic circumstances.

  Be it therefore resolved, that we call upon Cornell administration to protect Cornell University Library from any further budget cuts to ensure that Cornell University Library can carry out its charge.  

  Be it finally resolved, that Cornell administration consider reversing the most recent budget cut of nearly $5,000,000 and commit to increasing the resources available to Cornell University Library so that it may continue to serve the students here at Cornell.

  Respectfully Submitted,

  Zander Lynch

  Vice President of Operations, GPSA

• Resolution File:
  GPSAR2CallForProtectionAndIncreasedSupportOfCornellUniversityLibrary.pdf (174.69 KB)
• Supporting Documents:
• Sponsors: Zander Lynch (zcl7)
• Reviewing Committee: Executive Committee