CDL: Allocation formulas? (response 5)

Allocation formulas: why they are not useful/typically counter-productive
From:
"Swindler, Luke" <luke_swindler_at_unc.edu>


In my view allocations formulas for collections budgets are not useful, 
  tend to be counter-productive, and represent a waste of time, effort, 
and political capital.

I base this assessment on the following major points:

  * To be effective and equitable allocation formulas must apply to the
    entire universe of relevant library resources;
  * Allocations formulas almost invariably apply only to books, which
    represent a rapidly decreasing portion of collections budget as well
    as what patrons use in an academic environment;
  * Because they focus on monographs, allocation formulas encourage the
    older book format fetish and print preference mentality;
  * Even for books, allocations formulas do not reflect the reality of
    how academic libraries acquire monographs:  that is, they presuppose
    that books typically are acquired on a title-by-title selection basis;
  * Print books are increasing acquired en bloc via approval plans,
    while e-books are often acquired (purchased or leased) en bloc via
    collections/packages, resulting in no specific subject correlates;
  * For all the above reasons, allocations formulas do not reflect the
    reality of aligning library expenditures/resources with actual
    instructional/research needsespecially given the increasing
    multi-/inter-disciplinary nature of the academic enterprise;
  * Allocations formulas encourage rigid budgeting, silo thinking, and
    professional territoriality (especially a neo-Cartesian attitude
    among subject librarians of  I select therefore I am);
  * Allocation formulas invariably take much time to decide upon,
    implement, and (invariably) defendefforts that could be used more
    productively on other collections activities.


Luke Swindler


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Luke Swindler                 Collections Management Officer
Davis Library    CB #3918 luke_swindler_at_unc.edu 
<mailto:luke_swindler_at_unc.edu>
University of North Carolina TEL (919-962-1095)
Chapel Hill, NC  27514   USA                        FAX (919-962-4450)
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