HANCEVILLE — The future of the Wallace State Library may be in question as the college plans for a number of new building projects and continues to expand its “digital learning footprint,” The Times has learned.

Officials with WSCC said a number of future building projects will be discussed next month while considering the long-term goals of the college’s overall campus master plan. Speaking to The Times, multiple people expressed concern over those intentions, and what that means for the future of the library. Some have expressed concern that the school may permanently close the print library in favor of digital alternatives.

The timeline for this transition remains in question, but an email obtained by The Times explains how library staff have been instructed by WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics against purchasing any future “bound books, pamphlets or any type of paper documents.”

“From today forward, it is the President’s decision not to purchase any more bound books, pamphlets or any type of paper documents for the WSCC Library. Since we will not have accommodations to house items of this type in the near future, I will no longer approve requisitions containing documents of the type,” the email reads.

A number of collegiate libraries, particularly within the two-year community college system, have been gravitating in this direction due, in part, to the cost saving benefits virtual libraries. The library at Snead State Community College began making the switch nearly a decade ago, and while it currently maintains a modest collection of around 5,000 print volumes, the vagueness of current accreditation standards leaves room for colleges to do away with even those resources.

Prior to 2004 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ accreditation requirements for college libraries required that students be given access to a “broad range of learning resources to support its purpose and programs,” listing a variety of print, non-print and electronic media. Libraries were also required to be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure the facilities and services were meeting the needs of students.

However, in 2004 SACSCOC began using the more relaxed Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement as its standard. That document requires only that institutions provide “adequate and appropriate library and learning/information resources.”

One library that continues to maintain its traditional library services is Calhoun Community College. James Loyd, director of library services for Calhoun’s Decatur campus, said that while the march toward digital information is always a concerning one for those in the library industry, he has not been made aware of any plans for Calhoun to make that transition. He said while there is an indisputable value in online access to books and information, there are several risks to not offering those resources in conjunction with traditional catalogs.

He said while it is not a regular occurrence, there have been instances where students were not able to access the college’s virtual library due to temporary system failures which required access to physical copies in order to complete assignments.

“There are so many things that could cut off access to information digitally if you don’t have a backup. If you have a physical collection, you always have a backup if anything were to go down long term as far as the network or infrastructure goes. You still have an available resource students are able to use,” Loyd said.

Cullman resident and local researcher Ethel Alexander expressed concern that access to digital information could be cut off not just on a temporary basis, but permanently. Alexander has used Wallace State library’s robust genealogy and archive section — which occupies two of the building’s six floors — to research her own family’s history and African American history in the Cullman and surrounding communities. That research has led to her uncovering the only African American cemetery in Cullman County, which has been added to the Alabama state register. Alexander, a member of Colony’s town council, is currently working on a book about the history of the community.

While debates continue surrounding the idea of banning the teaching of critical race theory and of books that lawmakers may deem controversial, Alexander is concerned that digital information would be too easily erased.

“With this new idea about critical race theory, people want to exclude a lot of Black history, but that’s my history,” she said. “Why would you exclude that? Some of it was good and some of it was bad, but you should know about it.

“You should have that information where it can’t be destroyed. It should be on computers, but I wouldn’t want to see everything go digital because you could get a group of people say ‘OK, we’re going to ban this’ and with just one click it’s gone,”

The genealogy department recently assisted in researching the history the Amazon Fulfillment Center site in Bessemer, which was included in the Hulu docuseries The 1619 Project which discusses the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions African Americans made in furthering the national narrative.

Alexander said this type of research, especially when dealing with African American history, is “very taxing” and requires a breadth of resources. She described the WSCC Library as a “gold mine for North Alabama” and said losing that resource would make uncovering that history all the more difficult.

“History is just according to whoever writes that history. People can write things concerning you or your culture that’s really not accurate. If you research your own history, you can create a real true history of yourself and the world around you,” Alexander said.

Executive director for the Friends of the Cullman County Libraries, Tanya Allcorn said she is aware of the rising popularity of digital information, but foresees a time when people have exhausted their desire for intangible things and return to more traditional physical experiences.

“I think there’s a value to holding a book and being able to go back and flip through the pages. Digitally, you lose all of that,” she said.

She also said she is familiar with the financial burden libraries can have on institutions and municipalities choosing to maintain them, but said they are a “gift to the community.” She said particularly in areas such as Cullman County — where nearly 10 percent of residents live in poverty — they are a gift worth preserving.

“There is a lot of internal cost to maintain a library and they don’t produce revenue. It’s definitely a gift that is given to the community, but it’s an invaluable gift. Whether you are old or young, it’s a resource every single person can utilize. The library is always a place where you can walk in and check out a book, whether it is for pleasure or research, and that’s an invaluable gift worth preserving,” Allcorn said.

Karolewics declined to be interviewed for this story, but provided the following statement: “There are no immediate plans for a change in the library’s status on campus. Facilities projects in higher education take years to accomplish. In the meantime, expanding the availability of digital learning resources has been among our priorities and will be the focus of any long-range planning.

“The need to expand our digital learning footprint is essential for serving students who increasingly rely on digital resources for research, and it is consistent with the preference students have exhibited over time for accessing up-to-date digital content when visiting the library. Periodicals and journals moved online years ago. Textbooks and reference materials are now also largely available online. Decisions about collections and print volume are made internally and consistent with SACSCOC guidelines for colleges, usage, data and best practices.”

WSCC plans to discuss campus master planning and long-range projects, including new facilities at an event on July 20. No further information was provided to The Times regarding this event.