California Faculty Association petition urges Sacramento State leaders and community members to reinstate library funding

The California Faculty Association is calling out to students and community members through a letter of demand and petition against funding cuts to save Sacramento State’s library.

Last semester, the library faced an 11% decrease in funding, creating more restrictions in their services and ability to properly upkeep the facility. As the library continues to face these issues, the CFA sent an open letter to President Luke Wood and Provost Erika Cameron urging them to take action.

This petition to campus leaders calls for the adherence to three specific demands: a promise to restore the University Library’s materials and operations budget in Spring 2026 without cuts to other colleges, funding for academic affairs continues as a priority, and the administration be fully transparent around budgeting issues for all involved.

A collection of campus and community members called out Sac State for not prioritizing the library through funding and, therefore, keeping them from their “core mission of teaching and learning.” The letter further stated that funding cuts have impacted their ability to maintain crucial resources, such as $472,953 worth in cuts to databases, periodicals and other learning tools for students.

Michelle Willard, Sac State’s public information officer, shared a letter from Wood and Cameron to all faculty and staff on March 4. The letter shared the university’s plan to dedicate $3 million of its total return portfolio allocation from the Chancellor’s Office to support the renovations and improvements of the library over the next three fiscal years.

It additionally stated that Library Dean Amy Kautzman will lead this process of community engagement to identify the highest priorities, along with library faculty being central to the conversation.

The petitioners said these cuts significantly restrict the library’s ability to aid students and the community with research, activities and teaching materials. The cuts have also resulted in a cut back on library operating hours, affecting students who rely on the library for course-required books, sourcing material for homework, a quiet study environment and student employment.

RELATED: University Library sees 11% decrease in funding for 2025-26 year

Sam Russell, a senior anthropology major, regularly uses the library for study material, as a meeting spot for classmates and a quiet place to get away from the busy atmosphere of campus. Russell said they noticed the hours decrease last semester, when using the library’s model skeleton to study. They faced restrictions on the weekends due to earlier closing times and during the facility’s closure over winter break.

“It was detrimental when it was closed over break,” Russell said. “It would have been nice to have another place besides my house to get prepared for the next semester.”

They said this experience led them to look into the library’s changes, especially after learning about the funding petition in the library. They said this inspired them to post on social media and encourage peers to support the cause.

“I think it’s important for students to know what’s being challenged, like losing funding, especially something as important as the library databases that we’re losing access to,” Russell said.

In addition to the lack of accessibility and resources, some students have noticed physical detriments to the library facility. Austin Hoover, a senior history major, said he noticed water damage among the shelves when strolling the book aisles on the fourth floor.

He said he first saw the damage just before Thanksgiving last year and commented on it to library staff and friends. When coming back in the spring, he noticed it hadn’t been fixed over winter break and grew concerned and frustrated over the lack of attention.

“Our library is literally the center of the campus and an incredible resource,” Hoover said. “Our master’s and doctorate programs aren’t going to go anywhere if we aren’t able to acquire new books or even maintain the building our current books are kept in.”

As he considers pursuing his master’s degree and possibly his doctorate in the future, Hoover said that these issues have seriously made him reconsider doing so at Sac State.

Both Hoover and Russell drew attention to the increased focus of sports related events on campus, mentioning that they would rather have this level of attention directed to properly maintaining facilities like the library.

As the CFA petition directly calls the attention of Wood, students like Hoover feel exhausted by the lack of action he has shown. Hoover described the library as the heart of campus and posed a question to those in charge that urges them to readjust their priorities.

“Is literally letting the center of campus decay, in order to prop up institutions that provide little worth to the students who are here to learn and get their degrees, really worth it?” Hoover said.

The CFA was unavailable to respond to further questions about the petition but stated in the letter that the university should remember it is not an enterprise and should put more focus on quality education.

“The quality of students’ education and resources is an essential factor, one that all students should be aware of especially in times of need,” the CFA wrote.