Challenges for libraries in difficult economic times

SLIC/JISC/Scotland’s Colleges CoP FE Conference

18 November 2010

Sally CurryResearch Information Network

Budgets and finance

Searching for savings

New strategies? Libraries and their

value

Research Information Network

A small policy unit funded by the four HE Funding Councils, the seven Research Councils and the three National Libraries

Aims: to enhance and broaden the understanding of how researchers in the UK create and use information resources and services

Supports: the development of effective policies and practices for researchers, institutions, funders, information professionals and all others involved in the research information landscape

1. Budgets and finance

The last decade for UK libraries

Chart 1: Indexed real terms expenditure on libraries 1998-2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Exp

end

itu

re (

1998

=100

for

each

dat

a s

erie

s)

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

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Pe

rce

nta

ge

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?

Planning for cuts across services, staffing, infrastructure and content

staffing = >50% of expenditure in UK university libraries significant differences between individual libraries (30%

to>70%)

information content = c 36% of expenditure on average across all libraries

significant variations between library groups and individual libraries (<20% to >50%)

Staffing

expenditure on staff has risen in real terms by 31% in UK university libraries

45% in research-intensive universities

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

Chart 21: Staff expenditure as a percentage of overall library expenditure

1998-2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Pe

rce

nta

ge

RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members

Chart 20: Indexed real terms expenditure on staff 1998-2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Exp

en

dit

ure

(1998=

100 f

or

each

data

seri

es)

RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members

Staff cuts?

Service and infrastructure cuts?

closely related to staffing

cuts in opening hours, training, and enquiry services

capital cuts? postponing of IT

projects and building plans

Content: books

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

UK students less likely than in US to purchase texts on reading lists

e-books the future?

Chart 5: Indexed real terms expenditure on books 1998-2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Exp

endi

ture

(199

8=10

0 fo

r ea

ch d

ata

seri

es)

RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members

Content: journals

expenditure on journals has risen dramatically in research-intensive universities

different picture for recently-created universities and colleges

Chart 7: Indexed real terms expenditure on serials 1998-2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Exp

endi

ture

(199

8=10

0 fo

r ea

ch d

ata

seri

es)

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

those who demand don’t pay: demand therefore price-inelastic

future of big deals?

Chart 8: Serials expenditure as a percentage of overall library

expenditure 1998-2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Perc

entag

e

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

expenditure on content in UK has risen 34% in real terms

+52% in research-intensive universities

-2% in new universities

as proportion of overall library expenditure, relatively stable at 34%

highest in old universities Lowest in HE colleges

Chart 4: Information provision expenditure as a percentage of overall

library expenditure 1998-2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Pe

rce

nta

ge

RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members

Chart 3: Indexed real terms expenditure on information provision 1998-2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Exp

end

itu

re (

1998

=10

0 fo

r ea

ch d

ata

seri

es)

RLUK Pre-92 universities Post-92 universities Other HE colleges All SCONUL members

New areas and activities

supporting developments in teaching and learning

information literacy in an ever more complex information world

how well is library-based training resourced and co-ordinated with others?

identification of priorities? sustainability?

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 user-

generated acquisitions? from hybrid to e-only?

drivers and constraints

consortial collection development? ‘cloud-sourced’ research collections?

role of Special Collections?

New strategies for services?

reduce or eliminate the routine in order to take on new activities?

outsource what doesn’t need to be done locally?

cataloguing? websites?

new services for users? data mining and manipulation? creating custom collections? information management and curation?

digital preservation – data management? consortia and collaboration?

shared services SHEDL

Shared services

‘… it is crucial for libraries to exploit the potential for co-operation in developing a range of shared services in order to enhance efficiency as well as the scope and quality of what they provide to both academic staff and students’

New strategies for staffing?

reduction in need for the routine? focus on areas of biggest impact

speedy delivery of information and services accurately meeting the needs of students and staff

library staff need to be willing to develop new skills and take on new roles

Importance of sharing experiences and good practice

4. The value of libraries

Impact and value

essential to analyse library activities against institutional goals and learning outcomes

current performance indicators too basic

demonstrate return on investment success in achieving institutional goals how the library improves the student experience

and supports teaching learning and research

market the value of the library to institutional managers

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-accessing-information-resources/challenges-academic-libraries-difficult-economic-

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-disseminating-research/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

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