Challenges for libraries in difficult economic times SLIC/JISC/Scotland’s Colleges CoP FE Conference 18 November 2010 Sally Curry Research 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

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 ( 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

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?

Content: journals  expenditure on journals has risen dramatically in research-intensive universities  different picture for recently-created universities and colleges

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?

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

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

References  Challenges for libraries in difficult economic times. RIN in association with SCONUL information-resources/challenges-academic-libraries-difficult- economic- information-resources/challenges-academic-libraries-difficult- economic-  Trends in the finances of UK higher education libraries A RIN report based on SCONUL library statistics. research/trends-finances-uk-higher-education-libraries-1999  CIBER (2009) The economic downturn and libraries, survey findings  Measuring library impact on learning at the University of Huddersfield, Sue White and Graham Stone. All the RIN reports and briefings are downloadable from the RIN website If you would like to be added to the RIN mailing list, please get in touch: