The Systemwide Library Facilities Board (SLFB) is responsible for the development of policies, strategies, plans and general operating procedures for the effective and coordinated use of the UC Systemwide Library Facilities (SLFs), located at the UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station (SLF-North) and the UCLA main campus (SLF-South).
SLFB is appointed by and accountable to the UC provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at the UC Office of the President (UCOP).
Among the key responsibilities of the Board are:
- Ensure effective and efficient management of systemwide facilities as UC’s shared, economical, common goods;
- Advise the UC provost and campus administrators regarding issues related to systemwide library facilities;
- Strategically oversee and annually endorse the total operating budget for the systemwide library facilities, any budget augmentation requests that may be advanced, and implementation of the budget for each site;
- Oversee the effective coordination and integration of the functions, services, and operations of systemwide library facilities with overall UC Libraries’ strategies and priorities and reflecting the operations of the UC campus libraries;
- Assess the future needs for systemwide library facilities (including expansion of existing facilities), in the context of systemwide needs, campus library facility capacities and plans, and the existing or anticipated strategic or operational needs of the UC Libraries and campus library programs;
- Inform systemwide governance groups, such as the Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Advisory Committee (SLASIAC) and Academic Senate University Committee on Library and Scholarly Communication (UCOLASC) regarding the facilities in the context of overall systemwide library strategic plans and policies;
- Regularly report to the UC vice provost and provost on the systemwide library facilities, e.g., in a standing annual report.
For more details, please see the SLFB charge [PDF] (revised December 2024*).
*Please note: Previously, the SLFB was referred to as the “Shared” Library Facilities Board; this nomenclature change was implemented in March 2025, to reflect the UC Libraries and UCOP decision to begin managing these facilities at the systemwide level.
Systemwide Libraries Facilities: Brief background
The University of California (UC) SLFs were established in the 1980s to cost-effectively preserve and provide continuing access to UC’s library collections of enduring scholarly value. By design, the two SLFs (SLF-North and SLF-South) and their expert teams directly advance UC’s academic mission, while lessening campus space crises and securing significant operational efficiencies at scale.
Both facilities were constructed and originally managed as regional facilities by UCOP, with operating units reporting to the UC vice provost and two regional library boards providing oversight. SLF-North was originally named the Northern Regional Library Facility (NRLF) and built on the UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station in 1982. SLF-South was originally named the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF) and built on the UCLA campus in 1987. In 1993 and 1994 respectively, UCOP transferred administrative responsibilities, operational oversight and initial operations budgets for NRLF and SRLF to the host campuses, UC Berkeley and UCLA, respectively. In 2004/2005, the two regional library boards merged into one combined board, the SLFB, which continues to provide systemwide oversight for these facilities on behalf of the provost and UC system.
UC’s physical collection landscape has changed significantly since the blueprints for the NRLF and SRLF services were first drafted, and campus and systemwide requirements have additionally expanded: UC-wide growth in degrees and disciplines requires commensurate growth in collections; new modes and priorities in preservation and access have emerged, including mass digitization and shared print; and patron expectations continue to evolve at pace with the ever-changing scholarly landscape. Amidst these growing needs and opportunities, and despite significant operational efficiencies and storage economies, the UC Libraries and UCOP recognized the strategic need to shift from the regional, host-managed models to a new, systemwide operations and budget model.
In late 2022, UCOP charged the multi-phase Project to Analyze RLF Operations Funding to: (Phase I) Better understand the total cost to operate both facilities; and (Phase II) Investigate and recommend new, systemwide funding and oversight solutions. Between January and May 2023, the phase I team documented the history and benefits of these systemwide facilities and created a comprehensive overview of the combined operating budgets; and between August 2023 and February 2024, the phase II team developed principle-based funding solutions and organizational changes to ensure the continued success and sustainability of the facilities. In spring 2024, Provost Newman endorsed the Project’s final report and recommendations, which included:
- Continuation of the facilities as a shared, economical, common good;
- Management of the two facilities under a single, systemwide budget;
- Creation of a single, systemwide director to steward this systemwide budget and lead the operations of both facilities in partnership with shared governance and facilities staff;
- Strengthening and revising the SLFB charge and governance structures to support a single systemwide service approach;
- Utilization of a systemwide, UCOP funding source for operations.
In March 2025, the UC Libraries and UC Provost endorsed formally shifting the facilities from regional to systemwide service centers, including re-naming both SLFB and the facilities, and appointed UC Berkeley Library to serve as the administrative host for the SLF director and service.
Document owner: Danielle Westbrook