Facing the Serials Facing the Serials CrisisCrisis

Changing budget allocations Changing budget allocations in a time of uncertaintyin a time of uncertainty

Larry SchmidtUniversity of WyomingASEE Annual Conference 2004

Session 3241

The University of WyomingThe University of Wyoming 12,021 12,021

Undergraduate Undergraduate studentsstudents

2,229 Graduate 2,229 Graduate StudentsStudents

Land Grant InstitutionLand Grant Institution State’s only provider of State’s only provider of

baccalaureate and baccalaureate and graduate education, graduate education, research and outreach research and outreach services.services.

College of EngineeringCollege of Engineering

1198 Undergraduate 1198 Undergraduate Engineering studentsEngineering students

179 Graduate 179 Graduate StudentsStudents

79 Engineering 79 Engineering Faculty & Academic Faculty & Academic ProfessionalsProfessionals

Engineering Departments at Engineering Departments at the University of Wyomingthe University of Wyoming

Civil & Architectural Civil & Architectural Engineering Engineering

Chemical EngineeringChemical Engineering Computer ScienceComputer Science Electrical & Computer Electrical & Computer

EngineeringEngineering Mechanical Mechanical

EngineeringEngineering Atmospheric Science*Atmospheric Science*

The University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming LibrariesLibraries

Collection Development ProcessCollection Development Process

Department allocationsDepartment allocations Combined serial & monograph budgetsCombined serial & monograph budgets Originally used factor-based allocation Originally used factor-based allocation

systemsystem History-based decisions became the normHistory-based decisions became the norm Liaison-based system of communicationLiaison-based system of communication

The Need for ChangeThe Need for Change

What is the cause of the budget crisis What is the cause of the budget crisis at the UW?at the UW? Library working with a flat budget Library working with a flat budget Serial inflation greater than the Serial inflation greater than the

consumer price indexconsumer price index Allocations based on “history plus Allocations based on “history plus

increment”increment” Allocations as “faculty money”Allocations as “faculty money”

Problems with the current Problems with the current systemsystem

BooksBooks Book budgets cannibalized by serials costsBook budgets cannibalized by serials costs Subsequent book budgets were dependent on Subsequent book budgets were dependent on

one time fundingone time funding Dated collection Dated collection Faculty book requests in support of classes were Faculty book requests in support of classes were

often unfilled. often unfilled. SerialsSerials

Continued serials cuts by all departmentsContinued serials cuts by all departments Budgets of most departments went only to serialsBudgets of most departments went only to serials Some departments were unable to purchase Some departments were unable to purchase

society packages.society packages.

Engineering Serials Engineering Serials Breakdown Breakdown

Major commercial publications

64%

Major society publications

29%

Other publications

7%

FY 2003

Serial Costs for 2003Serial Costs for 2003

Cost comparison of commercial and society publications at UW

$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000

Civil

Chemical

Computer S.

Mechanical

Electrical

Engineering Department

Co

st in

do

llars

Society publications

Commercial publications

Electrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering The Catalyst For ChangeThe Catalyst For Change

Electrical Engineering was unable to Electrical Engineering was unable to purchase core materialpurchase core material

NO set budget for any purchase of NO set budget for any purchase of booksbooks

Society package cost would soon Society package cost would soon exceed their available allocationexceed their available allocation

IEEE package cost, the original budget IEEE package cost, the original budget allocation and the total serial costs from FY allocation and the total serial costs from FY

2002 - 20042002 - 2004

$0$5,000

$10,000$15,000

$20,000$25,000

$30,000$35,000

$40,000$45,000

$50,000

2002 2003 2004

YearIEEE package costOriginal allocationTotal serial cost

Other problems with the Other problems with the current budget system in current budget system in

engineeringengineering

Focus on journals supporting individual Focus on journals supporting individual researchresearch

Undergraduate book collection is Undergraduate book collection is sufferingsuffering

Collection is dated and incompleteCollection is dated and incomplete Most current FE Exam study guide Most current FE Exam study guide

available in the library is 1990available in the library is 1990

Book & Serial Purchases for Book & Serial Purchases for FY 2003FY 2003

Allocation FY 2003Budget Books Serials

Chemical Engineering $950 $40,835

Civil Engineering $0 $66,648

Computer Science $0 $45,500

Electrical Engineering $0 $41,662

Mechanical Engineering $6,680 $62,640

Total Engineering $7,630 $253,039

Deciding on a new systemDeciding on a new system

More opportunities to purchase More opportunities to purchase booksbooks

Allow for greater purchasing power Allow for greater purchasing power for package dealsfor package deals

Support undergraduate educationSupport undergraduate education Support graduate and faculty Support graduate and faculty

researchresearch

Process for ChangeProcess for Change

Evaluate current databases & article Evaluate current databases & article indexes and costs associated with themindexes and costs associated with them

Evaluate engineering society packages Evaluate engineering society packages Analyze the high cost of commercial Analyze the high cost of commercial

press journals – publicize inflation historypress journals – publicize inflation history Analyze usage statistics and impact Analyze usage statistics and impact

factorsfactors Communication across the college Communication across the college

Collapsed Allocation ConceptCollapsed Allocation Concept

Budget for all engineering serials and Budget for all engineering serials and books in one allocationbooks in one allocation

College of Engineering and University College of Engineering and University priorities determine purchases of serials priorities determine purchases of serials and booksand books

Association Packages(primarily serials)

Proposed Engineering Allocation Flow Chart

Undergraduate Collections(primarily books)

InterdisciplinarySerials

Purchase requests I. Support instruction II. Support

interdisciplinary research

Approval plan

University publications

2nd Tier AssociationsAlternative press

(SPARC)

Periodicals in support of researchBooks in support of research

ILL

Serials FormatsPrint only

Print & electronic onlyElectronic only

Document Delivery

General engineering

(approval plan)Document Delivery

(engineering account))

First Year ResultsFirst Year Results

Over $11,000 in book purchasesOver $11,000 in book purchases Canceled high priced journals with Canceled high priced journals with

low usage statisticslow usage statistics Increased purchasing power with Increased purchasing power with

move to electronic only packagesmove to electronic only packages Transferred some packages and titles Transferred some packages and titles

to the protected core account to the protected core account

SuccessesSuccesses

Greater flexibility for changes in Greater flexibility for changes in curriculumcurriculum

Shift away from faculty perception Shift away from faculty perception that department allocations were that department allocations were “theirs”“theirs”

Improved communicationImproved communication Between engineering departmentsBetween engineering departments Between College of Engineering and UW Between College of Engineering and UW

LibrariesLibraries

The Process TodayThe Process Today

Working on a “do more with less” Working on a “do more with less” philosophyphilosophy

The University of Wyoming Libraries The University of Wyoming Libraries allocation process is still evolving. allocation process is still evolving.

Engineering faculty still willing to Engineering faculty still willing to work with mework with me

ConclusionConclusion

Process has prepared engineering for Process has prepared engineering for an uncertain futurean uncertain future

Communication between engineering Communication between engineering faculty and the Libraries is strongfaculty and the Libraries is strong

Faculty are much more aware of the Faculty are much more aware of the publishing process and are publishing process and are expressing their desire to force expressing their desire to force change in that process.change in that process.