Gretchen Arnold
Like all other departments in the University, the Health Sciences Library has experienced budget reductions in state funding. Since 2008, and including the just recently announced 2.5% additional cut for this year, the Library’s budget has been decreased by $531,497. We are managing these cuts through a variety of strategies which include leaving positions open and reducing spending in other areas.
One of the most important expenditures we make is on our collections of books, journals and electronic resources. Our current collections budget is $1,890,988 which is 39% of our total budget. For the last several years, we have kept our collections budget flat, which in reality is a decrease because the average increase in scientific and medical journal pricing is 6 – 9% each year.
We are fortunate in that we share funding for some major purchases with the University Libraries and a consortium of state universities and colleges. In addition, we are extremely fortunate to have endowment income specifically targeted to collection, mostly books. This gives some flexibility that we would not have otherwise. However, the fact remains that we will have to make cuts in our collections in order to meet our targets.
We will make these cuts in a systematic and strategic manner. We will reduce print collections and rely further on electronic only. In addition, we will closely analyze the usage and costs of databases and journals to determine the best cost/benefit strategies. When we have questions, we will seek the advice of members of our user community.
On a positive side, you can be assured that the strong service ethic of the Library remains high. We are committed to ensuring all of our users receive the assistance they need, and in the most efficient way possible.
As the Health System continues to expand, we understand that online resources must be available 24/7. We know that our website is our virtual “front door” and will continue to make investments in our Web presence to enhance access to our resources and services. Our library “chat” service continues to grow and we will look at other new technologies to expand our services. Innovation will be a key strategy to meet the challenges we face.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Arnold
Library Director
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