Academic Library Budget Cuts – Are Serials Always First Resort?

While I agree with the sentiment that appeared in library committee minutes at our sister institution -

that is, if the choice is between periodicals and staff, obviously the staff need to be preserved -

I’m beginning to wonder, are serials always the first to be cut from academic library budgets during difficult times?

The academic library where I work is cutting

-staff positions (currently and hopefully only through attrition)

-computer footprint (college-wide cut of 11% of machines)

-some electronic resources (based on usage statistics and cost)

-all print journals that can be subscribed to in online format

-some memberships through which we receive serial publications

-almost all journal and monograph binding

-and they’re investigating moving some of our online journal subscriptions to a pay-per-view model

A moderate reduction to the book acquisitions budget will also be made.

You’ll begin to notice that the sub-department of serials (2 FTE), while we’ll likely be keeping our jobs, will bear the brunt of the cut in materials budgets.

So, we’ll have our jobs (I hope), but what exactly will we be doing when our job responsibilities are so reduced?

Is this similar to what’s happening at other libraries?

bX Recommender – Scholarly article recommendations based on usage statistics

Ex Libris is in beta with a new e-serials service called bX:

“a first-of-its-kind service to provide library users with article-level recommendations based on collective usage data amassed from research communities around the world.”

The new application, which harvests usage data from Ex Libris’ link resolver SFX software, is in testing in sixteen institutions worldwide.

It’s very exciting that usage data will work directly to help researchers discover sources in addition to its use in collection development planning.

Follow the buzz at:  http://bxbeta.blogspot.com/

See the press release at:  http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/category/bXOverview

Decentralized Serials Administration

While I’ve already posted about journals check-in, I’m wondering how other library systems with multiple library sites manage serials in general.

I work in the ‘central’ branch at a college where there are two additional branch libraries.  A few years ago the decision was made to decentralize much of the serials administration, such that subscriptions, renewals, binding, and cataloging continued to be administered by the ‘central’ library staff, but check-in was managed by the branch libraries for titles which were shelved there.

This decentralized serials administration model poses problems for claiming missing issues, updating the cataloging for title changes and mergers (etc.), updating the frequency of the publication, and collecting journal issues for binding – all among the other exciting things that the world of serials throws our way.

These problems may all become non-issues as we move progressively towards an electronic-only serials collection, but in the meantime, it is a collection management mire.

Do you work with serials in a multi-site library system?  How does your library system handle serials administration?

Professional Resolutions for a LWSI-less 2009

Some of you may remember the posts “End of an Era: LWSI disbanded as consortium restructures library technology management” and “LWSI reconvened as technology management discussion continues”.  It’s ultimately come to pass that LWSI is dissolved in favor of a new experimental structure of technology administration for the Trico consortium.  While I’d hoped to become more active with the Library Web Services Integration working group, that’s no longer an option -

So here are some professional resolutions for 2009.

1)  Begin a graduate program in library and information science

I’ve been accepted into a program and could start classes as early as March 2009, pending a final financial aid decision and my husband finding stable employment.  More information to come when I enroll.

2) Clean up our Union Listings

This will be a large, ongoing project involving updating our institution’s Local Holdings records in WorldCat.  This project is the outcome of a continuing education course that I took through Palinet (see “You think you know, but you have no idea: Local Holdings”).

3) Create a system for processing journal price increases, title and publisher changes, etc. during renewals season

Renewals season is a harried time of shot-from-the-hip emails as this kind of administrative information is provided on a title-by-title basis by our primary subscription agent.  I’d like to create a system, modeled on one developed by a colleague, of blogging or otherwise listing subscription changes in a central place for our collections, branch, and public services librarians to access and comment on, rather than herding the barrage of emails I receive regarding susbcription renewals and changes.

4) Coordinate training for staff communication tools

Our library staff uses a collection of blogs and wikis to record and discuss everything from committee minutes to application user documentation.  The skill and comfort levels across the staff in using these tools are varied; I’m in the process of working with colleagues to coordinate a series of orientations to blogs and wikis to promote the use of these tools by all levels of library staff.

5) Be considered for inclusion in technology projects coming through the new management pipeline

There’s a number of people in line in front of me, but I know a graduate program will be more meaningful if I can put theory into practice in my professional life.

6) Stay active in the professional debate

Keep reading, thinking, and writing

Do you have professional goals for the new year, or suggestions for a paraprofessional working towards the goal of a professional library career?  Please comment!