There are a growing number of college closures and mergers in the United States. The reasons vary—sharply declining enrollment numbers, unsustainable endowment drawdowns, accreditation issues—as does the amount of notice stakeholders receive before the closure and the fate of the campus and its resources.
 
Closing a College Library offers firsthand accounts of closing a library from different institutions of higher education, with practical tips, checklists, and sample documents, questions to ask yourself as you move through the process, and lessons learned. It provides effective practices for the immediate needs that arise when a library is facing closure, from preparing the building to rehoming special collections and archives to transferring electronic resources.
 
There is much unfamiliar work that comes with a closure or merger, work that can happen concurrently with your regular duties and while you’re handling the emotions of your team, students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Closing a College Library offers tools and support in making difficult decisions.
 

Amber Hunt grew up in Iowa and received her M.L.I.S. from the University of Iowa. She lives in Guilford, Vermont, with her husband and children. She worked at Marlboro College from 2009-2020 and continues to see the positive influence of Marlboro College alumni in southern Vermont and beyond. Amber is not looking to make closing a library into a career opportunity but is proud to be able to share these important stories.
 
Elizabeth Ruane is currently the library director at Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), a private, independent school in Massachusetts. Prior to joining NMH, she was the director of the Chesterfield Public Library in New Hampshire and the Rice-Aron Library at Marlboro College in Vermont. She holds an M.A. in English from North Carolina State University and a M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
 
Stephanie Sopka has worked at college and university libraries in Illinois, Vermont, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. She was the last technical services librarian at Marlboro College. She was also a member of the staff broomball team there—winners of the 2019 Golden Broom. Stephanie currently works for the Montgomery County Public Library in Maryland.
 

Introduction
 
Chapter 1. A Tale of Two Libraries
Nancy Hoover
 
Chapter 2. Closing the Library That Never Closed
Amber Hunt, Elizabeth Ruane, and Stephanie Sopka
 
Chapter 3. “If You Can Keep Your Head When All about You”: Marlboro College Archives and Special Collections
Megan O’Loughlin
 
Chapter 4. Supporting Special Collections and Archives Work in a College Closure
Chris Burns and Prudence Doherty
 
Chapter 5. A Closure, A Merger, and A Pandemic
Estevan Montaño and Samantha Sundquist
 
Conclusion
 
Appendices
Appendix A: To-Do List for Closures
Appendix B: Sample Deed of Gift
Appendix C: Sample Partnership Memorandum
Appendix D: Weeding a Merging Library Checklist
 
About the Authors