VT Digger: “Vermont State University plans to repurpose libraries on its five campuses and move to an “all-digital academic library” system when it launches as a unified institution in July. The university also expects to move one athletic program to a different conference and convert another to a club program.  Parwinder Grewal, who is set to become president of the new university, announced the “two major transformation decisions” in an email to students, faculty and staff Tuesday afternoon. The goal of the changes, Grewal said, “is to strengthen and expand access to our athletics offerings and provide greater equity of access to our library services.” But the announcement drew swift rebukes from some students.  Deanna Oakes, a senior at Northern Vermont University’s Johnson campus, said she and other students felt “blindsided” by the administration’s decisions.  “It’s kind of sad,” she said. “And it feels like a real loss to me.”The changes come as the Vermont State Colleges System seeks to consolidate its sprawling network of campuses. After merging Johnson State College and Lyndon State College into Northern Vermont University in 2018, it is now combining the latter institution with Castleton University and Vermont Technical College.  The resulting Vermont State University expects to “transform the physical libraries” on its Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, Randolph and Williston campuses this summer “to respond to what works for students today and best supports them holistically on their educational journey,” Grewal wrote. That involves eliminating all physical resources in the university’s libraries and transitioning to a digital-only library. Books, collections and other materials are set to be redistributed, in part to community members, according to an FAQ published by the university…”