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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 833 IR 055 302 TITLE ARL: A Bimonthly Newsletter of Research Library Issues and Actions, 1994. INSTITUTION Association of Research Libraries, Washington, D.C. REPORT NO ISSN-1050-6098 PUB DATE Nov 94 NOTE 97p.; For the 1992-93 issues, see ED 364 223. AVAILABLE FROMAssociation of Research Libraries, 21 Dupont Circle, Washington, DC 20036 (members $25/year for additional subscription; nonmembers $50/year). PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT ARL; n172-177 Jan 1994-Nov 1994 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Academic Libraries; Federal Government; Federal Legislation; Financial Support; Futures (of Society); Grants; Higher Education; *Library Administration; *Library Associations; *Library Services; Meetings; *Research Libraries IDENTIFIERS *Association of Research Libraries ABSTRACT This document consists of 6 issues (1 year) of a newsletter devoted to information and reports on issues and actions of interest to research libraries. Each issue contains articles on current issues, federal relations, and ARL activities as well as columns by the Coalition for Networked Information, the Office of Scientific and Academic Publishing, and the Office of Management Services. The highlights of each issue are as follows: (January 1994) "Trends in University Funding for Research Libraries," "NII and Intellectual Property," "Serial Cancellation Survey," and "Attracting Minority Applicants"; (March 1994) "Steps Toward a New U.S. Communications Policy," "Celebrating Libraries," "CICNet and Electronic Journals," and "Technology Fees"; (May 1994) "Rising Prices Continue to Plague ARL Libraries," "Rethinking ILL & Document Delivery Services," "Campus Seminars on Scholarly Communications," and "Librarywide Diversity Programs"; (July 1994) "Affirming the Rights and Responsibilities of the Research Library Community in the Area of Copyright," "AAU and ARL Endorse Action Agenda," "Electronic Serial Sites," and "OMS Diversity Program"; (September 1994) "ARL in Support of a Diverse Research Library Workforce," "AAU/ARL Demonstration Projects," "Librarian/Publisher Dialogs," and "New Learning Communities"; (November 1994) "GIS (Geographic Information System) Applications in Research Libraries," "Serial Cancellation Rate Predicted to Drop," "NII and Copyright," and "OMS Diversity Seminar." (DGM) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** LLD DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION <Act ol Educahonel Reeemch and Imptemernent EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC/ 0 This doeunmnt hat been reofoduced roOiNvOO Iron MO POMO Or orearmetton originating it 3 Minor changes haw been met% to improve reproduction amine Pants a vowOfGoma% stated m bite (bete meal do not ev represent otheml OERI posrtioo or oohcy A BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES AND ACTIONS Current Issues TRENDSIN UNIVERSITY FUNDING FOR RESEARCH LIBRARIES by Kendon Stubbs, University of Virginia Library The Association of Research Libraries has is not reflected evenly within library expendi- collected data from its academic members tures during the same period of time. Indeed, the since 1981-82 on total university education- rate of increase in library serials expenditures has al and general (E&G) expenditures.1 Analysis of matched or exceeded increases in university E&G these data, together with the annual ARL statis- expenditures. The chief disparity between the tics, reflects trends in research library use of uni- respective rates of library spending and total versity resources E&G spending and the relative has been in the emphasis given to Average ARL Library Percentage of E & G category of library budgets by Expenditures, for 88 Libraries, 1982-92 salaries and universities. 4.5% wages. There has A recent 'been a fairly con- examination of a "Trend" = -0.06 stant level of decade of these library staffing E&G data for the 4.0 °h during this peri- as ARL Statistics and -111- od, and this is Measurements reflected in a Committee slower rise in 3.5% revealed a wide- 41' library personnel C) spread decrease in a- expenditures than the proportion of in expenditures university fund- 3.0% for teaching ing directed to faculty. 1982 research libraries, 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 The following averaging over Year is a summary of half a percent of Figure 1 trends in the ratio E&G expenditures between library from 1982 expenditures and through 1992. While actual dollar amounts total university E&G expenditures. ir-reased, this half a percent decrease in the pro- portion of E&G allocated to libraries meant that The Decline in the Library the mean ARL library in 1992 had about $4 mil- Share of University Funds lion less to spend than if it were still receiving its For 88 ARL libraries reporting the pertinent data 1982 percentage of university funding. in all years from 1982 through 1992, Figure 1 dis- The decline in the library percentage of E&G plays the average ARL library percentage of 1mi- "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CA-. Ma. odd BEST COPY AVAILABLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." CURRENT ISSUES Continued versity E&G expenditures. Each solid dot represents the percent changes from the base year of 1981-82 for total average percent of E&G (also presented in Table 1). library expenditures and E&G expenditures. It also dis- Regression analysis can compute the straight line in the plays the subcategories of library expenditures:expen- graph that lies closest to all the points. This is the ditures for serials, for books and other non-serial materi- regression or trend line. The overall tendency of the als, for salaries and wages, and for other operatingcosts points representing percentages of E&G is downward (including binding). Figure 2 demonstratesa widening from 1982 through 1992. A negative number indicatesa gap between total library expenditures and E&G expen- downward sloping regression line. ditures, of which library expendituresare a part. Both The line in Figure 1 has a slope of -0.06. Thisnum- library and E&G expenditure dollars have been increas- ber can be interpreted as the average annual decline in ing, but E&G expenditures have been increasing faster. the percentage of E&G for all ARL libraries. Note from As the gap widens, the ratio between library and E&G Table 1 that the average expenditures declines. ARL library's percent fell At the same time, the Table 1: from 3.91 in 1982 to 3.32 figure shows how in 1992. This is a drop of Average Expenditures of ARL Librarie expenditures for serials 0.59 in the 10 years fol- s and Universities and for other operating lowing 1982. The calcu- Year Total Library costs have exceeded or lated slope of -0.06 indi- E & G Library Expenditures Expenditures Percent at least kept pace with cates an annual drop. of E & G E&G, while expendi- Over 10 years -0.06 1982 7,182,629 205,192,922 tures for salaries and becomes a decline of 0.60, 3.91 1983 7,767,229 216,394,511 3.92 wages, and for books, which is almost the same have fallen behind. as the actual decline of 1984 8,351,858 238,521,748 3.85 0.59. In this case the 1985 9,094,720 260,994,145 3.83 1986 Causes of the regression analysis 9,885,732 290,083,028 3.78 Decline in the describes very accurately 1987 10,719,388 317,931,271 3.74 E&G Ratio how ARL libraries on 1988 11,483,300 348,006,462 3.64 The reason for the average experienced a 1989 12,361,545 383,114,338 3.53 widening gap between decrease of about 0.06 1990 13,369,538 420,414,327 3.45 library expenditures (actually, 0.06%) each 1991 14,177,510 and university E&G year in their share of uni- 447,683,066 3.42 1992 14,550,333 476,191,915 3.32 expenditures is not, as versity E&G. Seventy- some have supposed, eight percent of ARL that ARL library members display a downtrend in their E&Gpercentage expenditures for serials have been failing to keepup from 1982 through 1992. Seventy-two percent received with university expenditures. Figure 2 shows howseri- a lower percentage of E&G in 1992 than in 1982. als expenditures have outpaced E&G expenditures. Table 1 displays average (mean) total libraryexpen- Similarly, increases in library expenditures for other ditures, average E&G expenditures, andaverage ratios operating costs, including automation, have also of library expenditures to E&G expenditures.2 This exceeded educational and generalexpenses. Where table shows that the mean ARL library's share of uni- ARL libraries have been falling behind in relationto versity expenditures has declined from 3 91%to 3.32%. general university expenditures is chiefly in salariesand If the mean library were still receiving 3.91% ofE&G, wages, and also in non-serial materials, mostly mono- average library expenditures would be $18.6 million,or graphs. about $4 million more than actualmean library expendi- For.! period 1982 through 1992, E&G expendi- tures in 1992. Most ARL libraries have experienced a tures ro.,e 132%, while library salaries andwages rose downward trend, of greater or lesser severity, in their only 85%, and monographs and other non-serialmateri- percentage of E&G since 1982. als rose 96%. In 1992, serials and other operatingexpen- The recent Mellon report on university libraries sim- ditures accounted for about one-third of expendituresin ilarly found a decline in the library percentage of E&G.3 the typical ARL library; salaries andwages for one-half; For the subset of 24 ARL libraries in its sample, theE&G and monographs and other non-serials for one-sixth. percentage dropped 0.47% from 1982 to 1990 from During the 1980s the one-third of the budget devotedto 3.67% to 3.20%. From Table 1, the decline for allARL serials and other operating costs rose slightly fasterthan libraries from 1982 to 1990 was 0.46% (from 3.91%to E&G, while the other two-thirds of the budget lagged 3.45%).