To: Dean’s Council
From: Martha Bedard, Vice Provost for Libraries
Date: January 28, 2016
Subject: Library Collections Review
The UConn Library is currently performing an extensive review of collections and collections-related services. I would like to share the process that has been approved by the Provost’s Library Advisory Committee (PLAC), which includes faculty and students from across the University. (http://lib.uconn.edu/about/PLAC)
Last fall the Library embarked on the first of a two-step approach to review collections expenditures. The initial projection was to reduce the collections budget by $300,000. This review, completed in October 2015, identified only $117,000 in reductions due in part to support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, and the Department of Mathematics. A full list of the impact of this initial phase of the review is accessible at http://lib.uconn.edu/?p=7552.
The second step is a comprehensive review of all of our collection materials – electronic and print, to ensure the Libraries are maintaining collections and collections-related services that align with the needs of the UConn community, while reflecting our commitment to stewardship in an environment of reduced funding and increasing subscription costs.
The Library staff are committed to a data-informed and transparent process by utilizing both quantitative and qualitative input. We understand the importance of actively involving deans, department heads, faculty, and students in the conversation. We will keep the community updated through our Collections Review webpages (http://lib.uconn.edu/?p=5536 ) and regular communications through our subject specialists and news blog at https://blogs.lib.uconn.edu/news.
We have already begun identifying the journals we receive as part of bundles and compiling data about each of them. The data points include acquisition costs, usage statistics, cost-per-use, publication and citation data for UConn researchers, and alternative access options. Drawing on input from PLAC, the Libraries’ collections managers, including subject specialists, are currently conducting an internal review of these subscriptions. The result will be the identification of a subset of the Library subscribed resources warranting deeper scrutiny given varying funding scenarios. Following consultation with the Office of the Provost, we will share a list of resources with the appropriate UConn community. We expect to have that list ready in February.
We will also be looking at our investment in monographs. These will be analyzed through an in-depth comparison of holdings with our peer institutions to serve as benchmarking data.
After analyzing all of the data regarding collections, including the community feedback, the Library will identify and share plans for how collections expenditures could be reduced for FY 2016/17 using a tiered approach. This will allow us to be flexible as budgets are finalized. We expect to have all of this completed by May.
The UConn Library System is aware of the budget issues facing UConn and has been working holistically to review all aspects of our budget. We understand the importance of our collections to the research and teaching goals of the University and are doing everything we can to limit the impact of budget cuts. I am encouraged by recent conversations with the Provost and Deans who have made a deep commitment to provide the resources for maintaining the essential collections identified through this review process.
Our approach also includes active commitment to continuing to explore the new landscape of scholarly communications, a key guiding principle in our Purposeful Path Forward, http://lib.uconn.edu/about/strategicvision. These emerging models of how knowledge is created, shared, discovered, and accessed includes the adoption of open educational resources as a viable option in academics. We look forward to working with you on these new initiatives.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.
cc: Provost’s Library Advisory Committee