University Library's Collection Strategies

Given the funds that the library currently has for collections, we cannot get anything new unless the university allocates more money for research and scholarship to the library each year. The library is in need of continued funding for subscription resources, as the cost for these resources generally goes up 5-10% annually for inflation costs & 10% minimum to support basic research needs. However, this does not allow for new resources or anticipatory needs for future programs. An annual cost inflation of 15-20% will help meet the minimum and anticipatory needs with additional funding for one-time purchases. A lack of increase in funding equals a budgetary reduction.  In addition, since the University is now an R2 institution, we need to support the needs of student and faculty research. The collection management committee keeps track of resources that are requested by university faculty - the list includes over $400,000 in requested subscription items and over $300,000 in requested one-time purchases. This area is one of many reasons why APU Libraries needs a University Librarian or Dean so that this permanent leader has a voice at the University level when it comes to funding.  

References on the Cost of Journals and Electronic Resources:

• Bosch, S., Albee, B., & Romaine, S. (2020, April 14). Costs outstrip library budgets: Periodicals price survey 2020. Library Journal.

• Bosch, S., Albee, B., & Romaine, S. (2020, April 1). Follow the money: New approaches have emerged, but none offer a solution to serial costs continuing to rise higher than library budgets. Library Journal, 145(4), 36.

• Bosch, S., & Henderson, K. (2016, April 15). Fracking the ecosystem: journal prices continue to rise, while resources remain flat, challenging all players to eke out the most value for students and scholars. Library Journal, 141(7), 32.

• Barreau, D., Bouton, C., Renard, V., & Fournier, J.-P. (2018). Health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals: expectations of general practice departments and collection-based analysis. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(2), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.282

The goal of collection budget management is to align cost with value to provide access to the information resources needed by APU faculty, students, and staff to support the wide range of disciplines across campus.  With the rapidly rising costs of academic books, journals, databases, and other resources, and without added funding to cover these increases, the collection budget must be carefully targeted toward the most needed materials.  The following strategies form the basis of budget management to meet this goal.

• Continually evaluate licensed research databases to contain cost increases, working closely with the Schools and academic programs to set priorities and actively manage resources.
• Analyze usage patterns to monitor the use of resources to inform decisions about ongoing needs and discontinuation of resources as warranted.
• Prioritize the incorporation of open access resources and indexes into search interfaces and research guides.
• Further develop internal electronic resources management processes and tools for maximum efficiency in managing resources.
• Leverage consortial partnerships/participation and vendor negotiations to the fullest extent to ensure ongoing sustainability.
• When available, sign multi-year agreements that minimize costs.
• Purchase or subscribe to resources in only one format so that the library does not pay twice for the same content in print and electronic versions.  Cancel print subscriptions to journals and newspapers that the library also subscribes to online, and purchase monographs in either print or ebook versions, but not both.  This strategy reflects a concern for maximizing the collections budget and the library's limited shelf space. 
• For purchases of print books, prefer paperback over cloth binding to save costs.
• Rely on our Interlibrary Loan partners for access to in-depth collections in areas not emphasized at APU, to ensure that our collection funds are targeted toward supporting our unique focus.
• Seek to develop alternative sources of funding for collections, such as grants and partnerships with departments and programs on campus.
• Support transformative publishing models that will help develop an economically sustainable system of scholarly communication.
• Review for their continued relevance and usage of locally subscribed journals whose annual subscription price increases by 15 percent or more.