1. Matching Library budgets to resources: making tough choices.
Academic Book Trade Conference
10th – 11th May 2018
Helen Adey,
Resource Acquisitions and Supply Team Manager
Nottingham Trent University
14 November 2018

2. Content Quick Fire Questions Questions to get you thinking
Scenario - what would a librarian do?
Rules
Bonus points for insights into why Librarians think the way they do
Points will be deducted for any stereotypical librarian type behaviour
Group or table with highest number of points win a prize
Try to have fun
14 November 2018

3. Question 1: By how much on average, are Journal prices expected to increase in 2018/19?5% 6% 7%
No-one really knows
14 November 2018

4. Question 2: Why is that question relevant at an academic book trade conference?
Answer: Because above inflation price increases for Journals will directly affect the available funds for spending on Books
14 November 2018

5. Question 3: On average, by how much are Library Budgets increasing?
At NTU best guess is 2% overall for 2018/19, but
We’ve asked for extra to cover Journals Inflation
14 November 2018

6. Question 4: How many reasons can you think of for why libraries may not be given inflation proof journals budgets?
It may not be affordable
If Universities keep finding the extra cash - what message does this send to publishers? What incentive would there be for keeping price increases down?
Current political climate and the cap on student fees is having a major impact
14 November 2018

7. Question 5: Most libraries try to ensure that Journals budgets do not rise above 75% of the total collections budget - why?
Hint: think back to question 1!
Answer: If Journals inflation regularly exceeds the increase in library budgets, and is allowed to increase unchecked, within c. 1 decade, there will be no money left for the Book budget
14 November 2018

8. Question 6:
Can you guess how many modules are being taught at NTU this year?
On average, how may items would you expect to see on a resource list
For a science based subject?
For a humanities subject?
For a History list?
Can you guess how many items there are on NTU’s longest resource list?
Can you guess overall how many items are on Resource lists this year at NTU?
14 November 2018

9. Question 7: What does the term eBook mean to you; to a librarian; to a student?
An electronic version of the printed book which can be used by anyone, anytime and anywhere?
An electronic version of the printed book which can only be used by a limited number of users at any one time?
An eBook where each student has their own individual copy, possibly containing additional content not found in the printed version?
Something else?
14 November 2018

10. Your Child is about to go to University
Your Child is about to go to University. Which of the following options would you prefer and why?
The University purchases and gives your child 6 books as part of a no hidden extras campaign
The University Library attempts to purchase copies of every item on every resource list, purchasing multi-user eBooks whenever possible
Bonus questions - how many books do you need to use / read when studying for a degree?????
14 November 2018

11. Real case scenario
The library becomes aware of a large number of eBook turnaways against a single title
The eBook in question is only available for purchase by Libraries as a single user licence eBook
The eBook is listed on 3 different module resource list and the total number of students studying on these modules is 366.
The library has already purchased 39 single user eBook copies of the title costing c.£1,000 in total
Between 17/04/2018 and 23/04/2018, there were 470 turnaways
What should the library do?
14 November 2018

12. Key points to remember
Very few academic librarians only work with books - journal prices impact on us and therefore on you
Those of you who work for publishers of both books and journals will almost certainly feel the impact of Journal price increases on your book sales to University Libraries
Library book acquisitions are performed on a significant scale - speed of decision making & supply are of critical importance
If you restrict access to your content, or make it hard to find, increasingly we will look elsewhere and advise our academics to do so too!
Students don’t usually make a distinction between different types of eBooks; they just want them to work and not cause frustration
14 November 2018

13. Any Questions / comments? helen.adey@ntu.ac.uk
14 November 2018