» University Library Advisory Committee
Presentation: November 11, 2002
ALLOCATING THE LIBRARY MATERIALS BUDGET
By Lois Schultz
The library is just like the family. There needs to be some guidelines. In Libraries these guidelines are often called formulas.
Example of a Formula
X = (A+B+2C) ÷ 4
Where:
- X = Departmental percentage of the budget
- A = Departmental faculty: % of the total faculty
- B = Departmental courses: % of the total courses
- C = Departmental student credit hours: % of the total student credit hours
Groups of Variables
- Departmental
- Publication
- Library use
- Other
Departmental Variables
- Number of credit hours
- Graduate
- Upper Division
- Lower Division
- Number of courses
- Graduate
- Upper Division
- Lower Division
- Number of majors
- Number of graduates
- Number of faculty
Publication Variables
- Cost of materials
- Serials
- Books
- Number of items published
Library Use
- Circulation of items in the collection
- Interlibrary loan requests
- Library research orientation of the field
- Faculty publications
Other Variables
- New Programs
- New faculty
- Programs of distinction
- Accreditation
- Historical allocation
- Historical collection development
Little consistency in which variables are used.
The goal is to have a balanced collection.
"A balanced collection proportionally reflects all the programs, instruction and research conducted in an institution." David Genaway
Source: Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, Vol. 10, pp. 287-292, 1986.
Steely Library's History
Climate Ripe for Change or Review
- New Associate Provost for Library Services
- 56% of libraries surveyed changed formula every five years
- Have more faculty input
- LIBRARY MATERIALS BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE, Established in 2002
Library Materials Budget Formula
April 22, 2002
By Fred Beasley, Tom Heard, Don Kelm, Lois Schultz
Formulas can be simple or complex. They can become so complex that the time and cost of applying the formula negate the benefits.
"The best formula is one that quantifies need with the minimum number of variables, since each variable adds time and expense of data collection as well as the number of calculations that must be made to implement the formula." David Shappert
Source: Tuten, Jane H. and Beverly Jones, Allocation Formulas in Academic Libraries, American Library Association, 1995.
Formula needs to be fair and one that meets the true needs.
Variables We Chose
- Courses
- Lower Division
- Upper Division
- Credit Hours
- Cost of Materials
- Books
- Serials
Formula
X = (A + 2B + 3C + D +2E) ÷ 9
Where:
- X = Departmental allocation
- A = Lower division courses
- B = Upper division courses
- C = Credit hours
- D = Cost of books
- E = Cost of serials
No department could lose or gain more than 10%.
BUDGET FACTS
- Materials budget increase has been nil or low for many years.
- Cost of materials increase faster than the consumer price index.
- New formats of materials are expensive.
Click the following charts to see a larger image
The library budget.
The cost of books.
The cost of serials.
Books and Periodicals Compared
to Consumer Price Index.
The Consumer Price Index.
Why the High Rate of Increase for Periodicals
- Technology investments
- Increases in paper cost
- Increase in postage
- Page & volume increases
- Strength of dollar
- Electronic journals
- Bundle paper and electronic
- Cancellations cause publishers to raise prices
- Consortial sales
- Document delivery
- Pay per view
- Price
- Mergers and buyouts cause increases in conversion and realignment
- General inflation
Problem
- Budget static or shrinking
- Serials cost increasing at a significantly higher rate than the consumer price index.
Result for 2002/2003
- Serials off the top
- Formula to allocate the remainder
Future Prediction
WANTED
Input on how to solve the problem
