Archives controversy: New faculty position pending

Patricia Larson Library dean

A proposed new faculty position in University Archives is causing controversy within a chronically understaffed CSUS Library.

“Jobs have been at such a premium,” said Eileen Heaser, science technology reference librarian. “We've had many retirees and the positions haven't been filled.”

“We desperately need another person in electronic information systems and distance education instruction,” said Linda Goff, library instruction librarian. “I don't think a new faculty member in Archives is the position we need.”

But Patricia Larson, dean of the Library, feels that Archives must be restructured in order to keep up with a rapidly growing collection.

“The nature of the materials are very special in Archives and it is growing all the time,” said Larson. “We need a new faculty person with special expertise in managing special collections.”

Larson's plan has met with strong opposition from the Library faculty.

Librarians voted 10 to 4 against adding the faculty position to Archives in a Library Faculty meeting last November.

A search has not yet started for the new position, but Larson said that the process of writing a job description for the position has already begun. Some librarians question the manner in which the new position has been created.

“We need other Library faculty positions,” said Goff. “We have never received any justification for why this [a faculty member in Archives] was such an important position.”

Archivist Georgiana White helps students locate historical material. Jennifer Regadio/State Hornet

The current director of University Archives is Georgiana White, who has been working in Archives for 33 years, the last 20 as head of the department. White has been instrumental in building Archives into what it is today by campaigning for the donations of the personal papers of U.S. Congressman John Moss and California State Senator Leroy Greene, as well as preserving one of the largest collections of Japanese American history in Northern California.

“There's no reason to hire this person for Archives,” said Goff. “Georgiana has worked so hard. She makes history real.”

Some librarians, however, are just happy with the prospect of adding staff to help with the workload.

“There are good arguments for any of the positions,” said Fred Batt, associate university librarian. “We certainly need help for distance education and electronics systems as well as Archives. But I support the dean's Archives position.”

White has a Bachelor's degrees in communication studies and history and is currently finishing graduate work in history. She has been president of the Society of California Archivists and is well recognized within the capitol history community. If a new faculty member is hired, White would be demoted to a staff position, although she would be given the title of University Archivist and Curator of the Japanese American Collection.

“The morale issues overarch this whole situation,” said Goff. “Georgiana has ties with the community that allow her to get the collections no one else can. Without her, these sorts of connections won't happen.”

Larson sees the new faculty position in Archives as an opportunity for improvement for one of the university's most praised institutions.

“Placing a faculty member in Archives will hopefully strengthen ties within the Library and within the larger university community,” said Larson. “We need a faculty member who has experience with special collections and digital applications.”

University Archives is scheduled to expand into the South Reading Room this semester and efforts to digitize archival material are underway. Larson has recently assigned one part-time and two full-time staff members to Archives to help with the workload.

“Archives is an important resource and it needs to be integrated more fully with the Library as it continues to grow and provide more services,” said Larson. “My only purpose is to make it easy for the faculty and the students.”