SFU Library Materials Budget 2007-2008

Here is the 2007/2008 Library Materials Budget as supported at the June 15, 2007 meeting of the Senate Library Committee.

As in previous years, the Library has set a materials budget that strives to strike a suitable balance between books and serials, and print and electronic formats, while accommodating the different material needs of the various disciplines. Due to the current strength of the Canadian dollar and projections for this strength to continue throughout this fiscal year, there has been some relief from the anticipated pressure on the budget.

We have continued to provide flexibility about moving monograph funds to increase serials purchases, if so desired. To ensure that book purchases are not overlooked by any single fund, we reserve the right to allow up to only 90% of the total fund to cover serial and periodical purchases.

In allocating this year's library materials budget, the following principles have been applied:

1. Serial allocations have been set based on increases of 8% over the previous year’s expenditures in Science, Health and Applied Science, and 5% over the previous year’s expenditures in all other areas.
2. Book funds were reduced by up to 4% in some subject areas, particularly those that have not fully spent their allocation in recent years, those with generous allocations, and those that are principally journal-based. Subjects with small allocations, recently formed departments, and disciplines that are heavily book-based have been held at last year’s levels where possible.
3. Taylor and Francis online journals have been moved from departmental allocations to the line in the budget that pays the package renewals, following the Library’s acquisition of this online package in early 2007. Departments will be consulted in the coming months to see if there are a small number of titles that must be retained in print for extraordinary reasons. In total, more than $192,000 has been moved out of departmental serial lines to cover this package, and moved to General Electronic Serials. Details are available here, showing the amount moved from each fund code involved.
4. The allocation for serials on foreign literature in translation has been distributed to related departments.
5. Allocations for serials binding, interlibrary loan, and alternate format materials have all been reduced, due to a reduction in demand for these expenditures, some brought on by the increase in electronic journal availability.

An explanation of the fund labels used in the budget appears below. Not all funds will have all the following lines:

Books - Approvals purchases received in book form based on subject profiles set up with our major book vendors. Primary subjects are covered by these approval profiles. Approximately 65% of all book titles purchased come in on approval.

Books - Forms purchases from information forms about new publications received based on subject profiles set up with our major book vendors. Secondary subjects are covered by forms in the profiles.

Books- Discretionary purchases from information provided by faculty and students, and orders initiatied by liaison librarians. Depending on the subject area, mainly secondary subjects are covered by Discretionary purchases.

Periodicals cover the journals purchased by the Library. This line normally covers subscriptions (print or electronic) that are paid for in advance.

Serials cover other regularly purchased items that are bought from year to year. These consist of yearbooks, annuals, handbooks, or other items issued serially that are paid for at the time of reciept.

Databases cover electronic indexes that are purchased each year. Subject based databases are covered in the departmental budgets and more general databases are purchased out of the general funds.