BANGKOK — The Library Association of Thailand has submitted a letter to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, calling on the government to review and delay a plan to gradually abolish librarian positions in government agencies.
On August 24, 2026, a group of librarians and supporters of the profession, led by Professor Emeritus Dr. Namtip Viphawiny, President of the Library Association of Thailand, submitted the letter at the Government Complaint Center 1111 at the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office.
The letter was received by Somphat Nilphan, an adviser to the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office.
The move follows a July 27 letter from the Office of the Civil Service Commission concerning reform of public-sector workforce management. The proposal calls for 11 categories of support positions considered unnecessary to be gradually abolished as current employees retire, beginning in fiscal year 2027.
Librarian positions are among those listed, with the exception of librarians under the Fine Arts Department.
The Library Association of Thailand said the proposed measure could have significant consequences for the profession and the country's information-management system.
A specialized profession in the digital and AI era
The association said librarianship is a specialized profession supported by a formal education system. The profession has a history spanning more than 2,600 years and was formally established in Thailand in 1905.
Today, around 20 to 25 higher-education institutions in Thailand offer programs in library and information science.
The association warned that eliminating government librarian positions would not only reduce the number of available jobs but could also weaken the country's system for training future professionals.
It also argued that the role of librarians has changed significantly in the digital and artificial intelligence era.
Modern librarians manage digital repositories, metadata, digital preservation and digital and AI literacy programs, functions that the association says are increasingly relevant to Thailand's digital government policies.
Concerns over Thailand's international image
The association also expressed concern about the potential impact on Thailand's international standing.
It is currently seeking to host the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2029 (IFLA WLIC 2029) in Bangkok. The association warned that abolishing librarian positions could affect confidence in Thailand within the international library and information profession.
It also criticized the government for not consulting universities, professional organizations and other stakeholders before proposing the measure.
Two demands to the government
The Library Association has asked the prime minister to take two main steps.
First, it wants the government to review the plan to abolish librarian positions and delay the implementation scheduled for fiscal year 2027 until a comprehensive impact assessment has been completed.
Second, it wants government agencies, the Library Association, educational institutions, libraries and experts to jointly study how to develop and improve librarians' professional skills to meet modern needs without creating additional long-term costs for the government.
Namtip said the association remains committed to its slogan, “Protect the librarian profession, protect the nation's intellectual treasury,” while expressing its willingness to cooperate with the government on public-sector reform.
She said she supports the principle of public-sector reform but opposes the abolition of librarian positions because librarians are specialized professionals responsible for managing knowledge, information and data.
Modern libraries, she said, must manage both printed materials and digital information.
Thailand currently has more than 30,000 libraries, including around 800–900 public libraries and more than 150 higher-education libraries.
The association is concerned that reducing librarian positions over the long term could affect library management and services, as well as the training of librarians and the development of library science programs at universities.
It also warned that the absence of professional librarians could have implications for efforts to address children's declining reading habits.
“The association's main demand is not to oppose public-sector reform as a whole, but to ask the government to reconsider including librarian positions among those to be gradually abolished and to allow professionals and relevant organizations to assess the impact before implementing the measure from fiscal year 2027,” Namtip said.