Working together in difficult times: Challenges for academic libraries Sally Curry Research Information Network JIBS Conference York, 2 December 2010
Download ReportTranscript Working together in difficult times: Challenges for academic libraries Sally Curry Research Information Network JIBS Conference York, 2 December 2010
Working together in difficult times: Challenges for academic libraries Sally Curry Research Information Network JIBS Conference York, 2 December 2010 Budgets and finance Searching for savings New strategies? Libraries and their value 1. Budgets and finance The last decade for UK libraries Chart 1: Indexed real terms expenditure on libraries 1998-2008 Expenditure (1998=100 for each data series) 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members The last decade for UK libraries Chart 2: Library expenditure as a proportion of overall institution expenditure 1998-2008 4.5 4.0 3.5 Percentage 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members US and UK compared Survey in late 2009 showed both UK and US libraries expecting cuts next year US and UK compared … and UK librarians are even more gloomy about the prospects in 2 years’ time 2. Searching for savings Where and how to make cuts? Staffing Services Infrastructure Content Staffing expenditure has risen in real terms by 31% in UK university libraries 45% in research-intensive universities 70 60 50 Percentage Chart 21: Staff expenditure as a percentage of overall library expenditure 1998-2008 40 30 20 10 highest as a proportion of expenditure (c 60%) in colleges significant differences between individual libraries (30%->70%) but academic staff and student numbers have risen faster 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Chart 20: Indexed real terms expenditure on staff 1998-2008 160 Expenditure (1998=100 for each data series) 0 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Staff, service and infrastructure Staff Doing more with fewer staff pressure from university management some thought being given to restructuring and re-engineering but recruitment freezes and not replacing staff who leave are the currently- favoured options Service Closely related to staffing – opening hours and enquiry services and user information skills training Infrastructure Many libraries already cutting plans in both building developments and in IT projects Content 45 40 35 30 Percentage As proportion of overall library expenditure, relatively stable at 34% Chart 4: Information provision expenditure as a percentage of overall library expenditure 1998-2008 25 20 15 highest in older universities: 10 5 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK +52% in research-intensive universities -2% in new universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Chart 3: Indexed real terms expenditure on information provision 1998-2008 180 160 Expenditure (1998=100 for each data series) Expenditure on content in UK has risen 34% in real terms Pre-92 universities 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Content: books Chart 5: Indexed real terms expenditure on books 1998-2008 120 Expenditure (1998=100 for each data series) expenditure on books has fallen, from c.12% to 9% of overall library expenditure power of the student voice in demanding books and other library services e-books the future? 100 80 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Content: journals different picture for recently-created universities and colleges Chart 7: Indexed real terms expenditure on serials 1998-2008 200 180 Expenditure (1998=100 for each data series) expenditure on journals has risen dramatically in research-intensive universities 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Content: journals journal expenditure has risen on average from 15% to 19% of overall library expenditure over 24% in older universities >70% of expenditure on information resources in many universities sustainability vs users’ expectations future of big deals? 30 25 Percentage Chart 8: Serials expenditure as a percentage of overall library expenditure 1998-2008 20 15 10 5 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members Cuts in content? cuts in monographs, other print books, and printed serials the most favoured cuts in e-journals and e-books least favoured Content: new areas and activities information literacy how well is library-based training resourced and coordinated with others? open access repositories payment of open access publication fees data curation new skills and capabilities digital preservation 3. New strategies? “opportunities to rethink what the library is and what it means….” New strategies for content? from just-in-case to just-in time? from librarian-controlled to usergenerated acquisitions? from hybrid to e-only? drivers and constraints cyber-infrastructure? consortial collection development? ‘cloud-sourced’ research collections? role of Special Collections? 4. The value of libraries Some issues with value it means different things to different people describing perceived value and demonstrating value are different activities available data correlation is not causation…….. Usage and cost as usage goes up, so cost per use has fallen downloads of e-jnls rose by 160% in UK 2004 and 2008 250% in research-intensive universities cost per download fell by 40% 60% in research-intensive universities big differences between individual libraries Expenditure and usage levels of expenditure in individual libraries do seem to correlate with volume of downloads two journal platforms and COUNTER figures as reported by libraries Usage and outcomes usage correlates closely with research outcomes PhDs awarded research grants and contract income papers published E-journal investment, use and research outcomes Investment drives use Direct links between use and research success weak as the two are distant from each other There are indicators that usage does correlate closely with research outcomes Thank you Sally Curry www.rin.ac.uk References Challenges for libraries in difficult economic times. RIN in association with SCONUL http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/using-and-accessinginformation-resources/challenges-academic-libraries-difficulteconomic- Trends in the finances of UK higher education libraries 1999-2009 A RIN report based on SCONUL library statistics. http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/communicating-and-disseminatingresearch/trends-finances-uk-higher-education-libraries-1999 CIBER (2009) The economic downturn and libraries, survey findings www.ucl.ac.uk/infostudies/research/ciber/charleston-survey.pdf Measuring library impact on learning at the University of Huddersfield, Sue White and Graham Stone. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/7842/1/SCONUL_2010_white_stone.pdf All the RIN reports and briefings are downloadable from the RIN website If you would like to be added to the RIN mailing list, please get in touch: [email protected] RIN References Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives http://www.oclc.org/research/news/2010-10-27.htm E-journals: their use, value and impact www.rin.ac.uk/useejournals ‘Transitions in scholarly communication’ focuses on changes taking place in the world of scholarly communications and their impact on research http://www.rin.ac.uk/resources/publishing/transitionsscholarly-communications Scholarly books and journals at risk: Responding to the challenges of a changing economy www.rin.ac.uk/files/Scholarly_books_journals_at_risk.pdf All the RIN reports and briefings are downloadable from the RIN website If you would like to be added to the RIN mailing list, please get in touch: [email protected]