Winds of Change

• Published in: American Libraries Vol. 46; no. 11/12; pp. 26 - 27
• Main Authors: Sibley, Christina, Carr, Mary M, Todaro, Julie
• Format: Trade Publication Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago American Library Association 01.11.2015
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Accountability; College Administration; Community colleges; Enrollments; Funding; Higher education; Information literacy; Librarians; Obama, Barack; Organizational change; Outcomes of Education; Students; Tuition; User services; User training; United States > US; Arizona
• ISSN: 0002-9769

Community colleges are the backbone of US higher education, serving 42% of the nation's undergraduates. Yet students are struggling to make it through the system. According to the Community College Research Center, some 60% of students entering community college require remedial courses to graduate, and fewer than 25% of them successfully earn a degree within eight years. Part of the problem is that tuition costs (even adjusting for inflation) have risen by 150% since 1985, and the percentage of community college students defaulting on loans is more than 20% (higher than for students in four-year colleges), according to a report in Community College Week, Oct 13, 2014. This proposal will definitely have an impact on the libraries that serve those students. Although the US Congress and state legislatures still need to act to make this happen, community college librarians will need to assess their readiness for a potential surge in enrollment. Library resources, levels of service, budgets, and organizational commitment must be in place to meet this influx.