[Wow Barbara! Thanks for the internal details of the process.
It was valuable to see how another library approaches this
recurrent process. ja]
From: "Barbara Cox" <barbara.cox_at_library.utah.edu>
The recent thread on serials cuts prompts me to send this
description of our project, since I would like to commiserate
and learn by reading similar ones from colleagues.
The Marriott Library of the University of Utah is preparing
for a certain but small (ca. $50,000) cut this year. Since the
economy is so uncertain, we wanted to be prepared if the State
decided in mid-summer that it needed to further reduce our
budget. We have compiled and posted a contingency list. We
will choose items not to renew, if that is necessary, from
that list.
We have done cuts nearly annually since 1996. Although the
criteria have varied from year to year they are usually based
on some combination of price, inflation, holdings in nearby
libraries , and use (we count reshelves of current issues and
this year, for the first time, downloads if available). This
year our certain cut will come from mostly from cancelling paper
reference sources, changing some database interfaces, and
moving some journals to online only. We decided not to post
this list this year since it is basically internal decisions
and we have found that patrons get confused and unecessarily
frightened when we list duplicates or alternate formats; they
think we're losing all access to the content--
"It is a sad day indeed when the Library can't afford the
New York Times Book Review". The contingency list is much longer
and is based primarily on use. A few very small programs saw
more than 25% of their titles in the list, they were exempted
from cut but are being asked to review their lists to make
sure these are indeed the titles which are most useful to them.
Our general method in recent years-
JANUARY/FEBRUARY :
Head of Collection Development guesstimates size of cut.
Legislature is in session.
Serials Collection Working Group (SCWG) defines criteria for cut.
Serials Order Dept. Generates spreadsheet listing qualifying titles.
SCWG cleans up list (this year, for example, taking out tiles
protested last year-why irritate people two years in a row)
MARCH/APRIL
University learns actual budget once Legislature adjourns.
SCWG posts contingency list. In major cut year, Director
writes faculty. This year, selectors notify academic depts.
Concerned readers write. (This year they were told they could
write now, or wait till June/July, read local paper and see
what Legislature was up to, check our webpage for news, and
then send in comments if budget really is decreased.
Interestingly, we have heard so far mostly from humanities
and social scientists "I will be away this summer..". Usually
we hear most promptly from scientists, but I guess they knew
they'd be here in the summer). Spreadsheet is annotated to
reflect titles of concern, comments are accumulated in a
narrative that library admin can read to judge campus mood.
Patrons get reply "thanks, and we won't cut this unless things
get Really Bad.".
AUGUST
If there really is an additional cut we should know by end
of July. Knowing size of cut or holdback, we will compare
list of un-protested titles. With luck, as last year, we can
meet budget without cancelling anything someone really cared
about. If not, SCWG will judge each title on its merits.
Master spreadsheet is returned to Serials Order for renewal
work by Labor Day. Final decisions are posted on library
website.
Marriott tries to meet its materials budget by trimming
the serials line, rather than monographs. We did trim the
approval plan somewhat last year. We keep a prepaid cushion
and try to always be in a position where we can say yes to
new and interesting innovations in scholarly publishing and
sustainable long-term investments in the collection. We have
also been helped out some years by one-time money from a
supportive provost and by databases and subscriptions
purchased through the Utah Academic Library Consortium.
The Serials Collection Working Group has six members plus
two observers from the law and medical libraries. Coordinating
with the health sciences library has been particularly productive.
Besides overseeing the serials cuts, SCWG adds material to the
collection by considering packages (Utah buys them if they are
"sustainable..."), considering adding or flipping to online access,
reviewing requests for new subscriptions, adding titles based
on CONTU stats, and similar projects.
This year's contingency list
http://www.lib.utah.edu/colldev/potential2004.html
Older provisional and final cut lists and related serials cut
info. One minor irritant we've never solved to our satisfaction
is how to refer to the cuts in the tables. We do the work in 02
but the subscriptions aren't renewed for 03.
http://www.lib.utah.edu/colldev/index.html
________________________________
Barbara Cox
Coordinator of Library Selectors
/ earth sciences librarian
Collection Development Division
444 Marriott Library, University of Utah www.lib.utah.edu
(801) 58 7-9167 fax 801-581-5957
US mail: 295 S 1500 E, RM DOCK,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0860
Received on Fri Apr 25 2003 - 12:14:31 EDT