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Acquisitions FormulaCLIC Spring Workshop

Pam Arbeeny Donna Arment Collection Management Librarian Technical Services Librarian Fort Lewis College Durango Public Library

March 22nd, 2007

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Acquisitions Formula

• Charge• Literature Review• Determining the Factors• Weighting the Formula• Gathering the Data• Calculating the Results• Final Report

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The Charge

• Allocating the Materials Budget

– Collection Management Team– Allocation before formula– Liaison Departments– Use of the General Fund– New Courses or Departments

added

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Literature Review

• Dividing the Duties

– Bibliography– Databases– Listserv– Book Prices– College Catalog– Review College and University

Web Sites

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Literature Review

• Bibliography

– Books• “Guide to budget Allocation for Information

Resources” Edward Shreeves, editor

•“Acquisitions Management & Collection Development in Libraries”

by Rose Mary Magrill

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Literature Review

• Databases

– One member was charged with searching the professional databases

– Each member was given several articles to review and summarize

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Literature Review

• Listserv– One member was charged with

surveying COPLAC Libraries(Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges)

– 13 Libraries Responded ( 24 total)

• 7 had allocation formula• 1 quit• 5 used other allotment methods

– Collection Development Policy– Broad Library of Congress categories– Historical Pattern, plus credit

generation

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Literature Review

• Listserv Questions1. How does your library allot funds for

individual disciplines as well as interdisciplinary programs such as Honors and General Education?

2. Does your allotment procedure cover only books?

3. When did your library last review its allotment procedures?

4. How do you factor in changing priorities or seed money to support newly instituted programs?

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Literature Review

• Bowker Annual of Library & Book Trade Information– One member researched Bowker

Annual and the internet for Average book prices.

• College Catalog– Each member was given a section

for review

• Review College & University Web Sites– One member researched the

Internet

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Determining Factors

• Internal Factors – Included

• By Specific Department or disciplines– Student FTE– Faculty FTE– Number of Course Offered

– Excluded• Interdisciplinary Courses

– General Studies– Transitional Studies– Thematic Studies– Honors

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Determining Factors

• Internal Factors (con’t)

– Excluded• Remove all areas not Discipline

related– Reference– General Fund– Government Documents– Designated a pre-formula amount

and allocated it these areas

• Library Instruction 150• Circulation Statistics• Interlibrary Loan Statistics

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Determining Factors

• External Factors – Included

• Amount of Materials Published in Discipline

• Cost of Materials Published in Discipline

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Weighting the Formula

• What weight to assign each factor– Other Colleges & Universities

• Weighted external Factors more heavily

– We felt • Emphasizing Course offering• Student FTE• Fit Reed Libraries’ Mission

Statement

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Weighting the Formula

• Final Formula – 35% Student FTE by Department– 10% Faculty FTE by Department– 25% Courses Offered by

Department– 15% Amount of Materials

Published by Discipline– 15% Cost of Material Published

by Discipline

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Gathering the Data

• Campus, Office of Institutional Research – Student and Faculty FTE by

Department– Courses Offered by Department

• Literature & Internet– Amount of Material Published

by Discipline– Cost of Material Published by

Discipline

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Calculating the Results

• Find an Excel Wiz!• Plug in the data• Total Book Budget for

2003-2004 $30,350• Deduct the areas not

Discipline related– Reference $5,000– General Fund $2,000– Government $1,000

• Final Formula

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Final Report

• Cover Memo• Three Page Summary• Bibliography of Sources• Summary of COPLAC

Responses• Excel Spreadsheet of

Book Budget Allocation Formula

• Revisions

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Acquisitions Formula

Questions?

Contact InformationPam Arbeeny

Arbeeny_p@fortlewis.edu

Donna Armentarmentdl@ci.durango.co.us