College of Marin's library is winding down its long-running free textbook loan program, a move that has quickly turned into a flashpoint on campus. Library staff say the decision is about staffing and scalability, while many faculty and students say it chips away at one of the few real breaks students get on soaring course costs. The program, in place since 2014, has helped students dodge hundreds of dollars in textbook bills. Now, as the Kentfield library prepares to relocate into the new Center for Student Success early next year, that safety net is being reworked and, in some cases, pulled away.
Staff Vote Ends A Campus Staple
At a Nov. 18 trustees meeting, library staff voted unanimously to terminate the Library Textbook Program, arguing the service had become too difficult to scale and required staffing the department no longer has. Library department chair Sarah Frye told trustees the program posed “scalability and staffing” problems, and staff pointed to several recent early retirements that thinned their ranks. The program, created in 2014 by library staffer John Erdmann, once circulated hundreds of volumes a year. Opponents say ending it will widen financial barriers for students, as reported by Marin Independent Journal.
Program Shrinks As Library Packs Up
At its height the textbook program put hundreds of required titles into circulation. By this fall, the Library Textbook Program listed roughly 350 loaner copies covering 17 sections across nine courses, a clear sign of a scaled-back operation, as outlined by COM Library. The Kentfield collection is now closing as the college prepares to reopen the library in the Center for Student Success early next year. The library's move announcement also notes that LTP textbooks are due this Friday so staff can get the collection ready for the relocation, per COM Library.
Faculty Take The Wheel On Textbook Loans
Under the new plan, library staff intend to pull LTP titles from the library collection and redistribute them directly to participating faculty. Those instructors will be responsible for checking books out to students and tracking returns each term. Dean Jeffrey Reeder and other staff are handling the logistics and expect the handoff to begin at the start of the new year. The change shifts work from library staff to instructors and, critics warn, could make access to required materials more uneven for students, as reported by Marin Independent Journal.
Stopgap Fixes And An Uneasy Transition
College leaders say they are exploring short-term fixes, including expanded course reserves, closer coordination with the Zero Textbook Cost program and alternative staffing models that might keep required texts both affordable and available. Deans are looking at ways to cover more classes and sections in hopes of reducing inequity, and the administration says it will watch closely to see how the shift affects students as it rolls out. Students with questions about due dates or replacements are being directed to the library's loan desk for guidance, per College of Marin.
With a major library move and internal staffing changes all happening at once, the future of low-cost course access at College of Marin now depends on how quickly administrators can plug the staffing gap without overloading instructors or leaving students short on books. Library staff and deans say they will update the campus community as logistics are finalized, and students who need help are urged to contact the library loan desk for specific guidance.
