1. Library Collections Budget
Ginger Williams, Head Acquisitions Librarian
October 11 & 12, 2017

2. Questions I've heard recently
Is there any way to increase our allocation?
Are lower level undergraduate hours included in the new formula?
Are disciplines included in the new formula?
Print is very important to us. Can we buy all print?
How does the library buy ebooks?
Can I get a list of our serials for an accreditation report?
How do we get new journals?

3. Changing the budget model
Challenges of the former model
Examples: Serials & Department allocations for new materials
Task force process

4. Challenges with former formula
Complicated with irrelevant/inaccurate elements
Underfunded and overfunded departments
Challenges managing serials inflation
Strict adherence => challenges funding emerging needs & interdisciplinary resources
Formula requires more $ every year
Designed for a print world, but today 70% of budget is spent on e-resources.

5. Managing serials inflation
Buying serials in multi-year package deals helps control serials inflation.
It also provides access to journals and databases we couldn’t afford if we bought everything title-by-title.
Serials inflation (6% avg.) meant some departments frequently needed to drop titles to stay within their budget.
We can’t drop titles that are part of multi-year deals.
Library staff spent time working around departmental serials allocations. 
Transfer titles from one department to another? Require departments to drop individual titles that are being used? Transfer titles from department to general?

7. Allocations task force
The charge:
Simplify as much as possible
Increase flexibility
To meet expanding mission of library & university
To respond to shifts in ways information is generated, packaged, sold
Don’t try for a quick fix
Three years to benchmark against ARL libraries, conduct a literature review, test scenarios, & recommend a new model.

8. From ARL benchmarking & literature review
The task force learned that no library has developed a perfect way to allocate the collection budget. So, we borrowed some ideas we liked and developed a model for Texas State.
U. Alabama Colorado State U. Maryland Oklahoma State U. North Carolina Northwestern U UC Irvine

9. Task force approach
We needed to take serials out of department allocations.
We wanted to allocate funds to departments to support their teaching & research needs.
We had to set aside funds for library initiatives like the Wittliff Collections, grant programs, and patron-driven acquisitions.
We wanted methods for adjusting allocations when there’s a clear need.
The perfect budget model doesn’t exist. Focus on a workable, transparent, flexible model.

10. New budget model
Three parts: Serials, Department Allocations, Library Initiatives

11. Any resource we pay for year after year

12. Serials What happened to my department's serials?
How do we get a new journal?
Can I get a list of our journals for accreditation report?

13. Multi-year deals
Journal packages: JSTOR, Sage, Springer, Elsevier, & Wiley
Database packages: Ebsco & ProQuest
Ebook subscriptions such as Safari & Ebook Central
Streaming video subscriptions such as Academic Video Online
Multidisciplinary databases such as Scopus
Annual fees for digital archives, like Early American Newspapers
Etc.
All subject librarians review multi-year deals before renewing.
Multi-year deals help control serials inflation & often provide access to many titles we couldn’t afford individually.

14. Serial groups Individual titles assigned to groups
Arts & Humanities
Social & Behavioral Sciences
STEM+Health
Each group has an allocation
Subject librarians
Review usage of current serials
Review faculty requests for new titles & ILL data
Consult with departments about possible changes
Help your subject librarian advocate for your department.
Talk to your subject librarian about what you need.
Communicate changes in your department’s direction.

15. Serial allocation factors
Cost of renewing current subscriptions
Current subscription use and cost-per-use
Hosting fees required to support one-time purchases from current year
Statistics indicating need, such as ILL requests
Requests from faculty during the preceding two years
Degree programs approved within the preceding five years
Degree programs under consideration if subscriptions are recommended in the Library Director’s Statement
Who decides how much each group is allocated? Ginger Williams, Head of Acquisitions Lisa Ancelet, Head of Research, Instruction & Outreach

16. FAQ about serials How does my department get a new serial?
Request one, either directly to your subject librarian or through the Order Request System (recommend a purchase)
Acquisitions adds all requests for serials to wishlist for subject groups to consider
Titles stay on wishlist for at least two years for subject groups to consider
Can I get a list of our journals for accreditation report?
We’ll provide a list of journals that support your department based on subject
Ask your subject librarian or the Collection Development Librarian

17. Department allocations
What factors are in the allocation formula?
What if the formula doesn't give us enough money?

18. Calculating Allocations
Every department gets base amount.
Then, we add formula amount.
Then, we subtract excess over cap.
For FY18, $1,250,000 was available to allocate.

19. Base Amount
Every department needs some funds for individually selected titles.
For FY18, the base is $5,000.

20. Dept Degree Programs+Dept Majors+Dept Faculty FTE All Degree Programs+All Majors+All Faculty
Degree Programs (weighted)
Undergraduate = 1
Masters = 2
Doctoral = 2.5
Majors (weighted)
Graduate = 2
Faculty FTE
Data Sources: Academic Affairs Degree Program Inventory, 9/1/17 & Institutional Research, Majors & Faculty FTE, Fall 2016

21. Cap Amount
The cap is a limit on funds allocated to a department by the formula.
Selecting & buying individual titles is inefficient.
Very large allocations can be wasteful, since some disciplines produce few books.
For FY18, the cap is $40,000.

24. No library has developed a perfect way to allocate the collection budget.
$60,000
is budgeted for
allocation adjustments.

25. Allocation adjustments
Subject librarians apply for funds
Applications are due Oct. 15 & March 15
Applications must explain why department needs additional funds
Head of Acquisitions & Head of Research, Instruction, & Outreach review applications
Communicate with your subject librarian about department needs.

26. Evidence of need
New programs, majors, minors, research centers, or program expansions within last five years
Program review or accreditation report recommended additional Library support
Subject named a university priority or is nationally ranked
Collection assessment indicates need
Faculty/student survey indicates need
Requests declined/held over due to lack of funds
The cap doesn’t apply to adjustments.

27. Any resource we pay for year after year
The new budget model is aligned with the way information is packaged and sold today, allows us to address the needs of emerging programs, and gives us the flexibility we need since no formula is perfect.

28. Questions? Feedback?
No budget model is perfect. Our goal is a transparent & flexible budget that helps us meet all needs & some wants. We welcome feedback that will help us improve the budget model.