RUL Collection Budget Issues
Prepared for NBFC Meeting 4/15/05
By Robert G. Sewell
Associate University Librarian for Collection Development and Management
- High cost of library material
- Problems of State Fund Allocations: Not enough and uncertain
- Losing ground to comparable State AAU University Libraries
ALL ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARIES MUST COPE WITH HIGH ANNUAL PRICE INCREASES FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS
-Association for Research Libraries Statistics
State Fund Allocations for Library Materials
- BASE budget does not grow while prices increase and new programs and academic emphases proliferate
- One-time funding varies year to year and often comes late in the fiscal year
Comparisons with other State AAU Universities with Large Enrollments
- All comparison universities represent main campus only in State System
- Rutgers statistics represent three campuses: N.B/Piscataway, Newark, Camden
- Most electronic resources at some of the comparison universities are paid by state consortia and are not reflected in ARL stats. (Ohio State, U.C.L.A., Berkeley)
- Rutgers' electronic resources often more expensive because of some pricing models based on FTEs and three campuses
Improvement in Students Educational Experience is a Key Goal at Rutgers
How well do the Libraries support students in comparison with other large AAU university libraries?
2003 ARL Library Material Expenditures Per Full-Time Student in Distinguished State AAU Universities with Similar Enrollments
| University | Expend/student | ARL Rank | F-T Student Enrollment | ARL Rank | Expenditures | ARL Rank |
| Cal, Berkeley | $554 | 27 | 29,400 | 23 | $16,291,361 | 4 |
| Michigan | $540 | 28 | 35,623 | 14 | $19,235,775 | 3 |
| Indiana | $370 | 51 | 33,852 | 19 | $12,520,640 | 15 |
| UCLA | $351 | 60 | 36,072 | 12 | $12,672,517 | 11 |
| Illinois, U-C | $330 | 66 | 36,356 | 10 | $11,979,981 | 18 |
| Minnesota | $320 | 70 | 33,880 | 18 | $10,831,123 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | $287 | 84 | 36,230 | 11 | $10,382,146 | 28 |
| Ohio State | $284 | 85 | 41,940 | 4 | $11,927,635 | 18 |
| Texas | $270 | 90 | 46,927 | 2 | $12,688,944 | 10 |
| Washington | $263 | 91 | 32,575 | 20 | $8,556,561 | 48 |
| Rutgers | $258 | 93 | 38,350 | 8 | $9,909,612 | 32 |
2003 Operating Expenditures Excluding Salaries in Distinguished State AAU Universities with Similar Enrollments
| University | Operating exp./student | ARL Rank | F-T Student Enrollment | ARL Rank | Operating exp. | ARL Rank |
| Cal, Berkeley | $257 | 16 | 29,400 | 23 | $7,553,921 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | $205 | 23 | 36,230 | 11 | $7,412,252 | 5 |
| Michigan | $154 | 35 | 35,623 | 14 | $5,484,405 | 11 |
| Indiana | $139 | 39 | 33,852 | 19 | $4,713,919 | 14 |
| UCLA | $124 | 45 | 36,072 | 12 | $4,468,633 | 18 |
| Minnesota | $120 | 46 | 33,880 | 18 | $4,081,910 | 22 |
| Texas | $98 | 60 | 46,927 | 2 | $4,600,190 | 16 |
| Illinois, U-C | $89 | 67 | 36,356 | 10 | $3,198,561 | 34 |
| Washington | $61 | 87 | 32,575 | 20 | $1,979,607 | 63 |
| Rutgers | $45 | 99 | 38,350 | 8 | $1,801,571 | 69 |
| Ohio State | $44 | 103 | 41,940 | 4 | $1,860,363 | 68 |
2003 ARL Total Library Expenditures Per Full-Time Student in Distinguished State AAU Universities with Similar Enrollments
| University | Total Lib. Exp./Student | ARL Rank | F-T Student Enrollment | ARL Rank | Total Lib. Expenditures | ARL Rank |
| Cal, Berkeley | $1,788 | 17 | 29,400 | 23 | $56,500,431 | 3 |
| Michigan | $1,353 | 28 | 35,623 | 14 | $48,193,379 | 4 |
| UCLA | $1,110 | 37 | 33,880 | 18 | $40,044,840 | 8 |
| Wisconsin | $1,084 | 40 | 41,940 | 4 | $39,281,520 | 10 |
| Minnesota | $927 | 49 | 36,230 | 11 | $31,413,131 | 16 |
| Indiana | $917 | 51 | 36,356 | 10 | $31,030,300 | 17 |
| Illinois, U-C | $908 | 52 | 36,072 | 12 | $32,996,914 | 14 |
| Washington | $874 | 55 | 33,852 | 19 | $28,464,332 | 23 |
| Texas | $781 | 68 | 46,927 | 2 | $36,671,492 | 11 |
| Rutgers | $767 | 72 | 38,350 | 8 | $29,398,458 | 20 |
| Ohio State | $677 | 86 | 32,575 | 20 | $27,045,276 | 25 |
2003 ARL Volumes Added Per Full-Time Student in Distinguished State AAU Universities with Similar Enrollments
| University | Vols. Added/student | ARL Rank | F-T Student Enrollment | ARL Rank | Vols. Added | ARL Rank |
| Cal, Berkeley | 6.9 | 17 | 29,400 | 23 | 203,950 | 4 |
| Michigan | 4.9 | 34 | 35,623 | 14 | 173,081 | 6 |
| Washington | 4.9 | 33 | 32,575 | 20 | 164,617 | 7 |
| Illinois, U-C | 4.4 | 42 | 36,356 | 10 | 159,658 | 9 |
| Indiana | 4.2 | 49 | 33,852 | 19 | 141,685 | 16 |
| UCLA | 4.1 | 50 | 36,072 | 12 | 145,519 | 15 |
| Minnesota | 3.5 | 57 | 33,880 | 18 | 117,177 | 26 |
| Wisconsin | 3.1 | 64 | 36,230 | 11 | 114,047 | 27 |
| Texas | 3.1 | 65 | 46,927 | 2 | 147,170 | 14 |
| Ohio State | 2.6 | 86 | 41,940 | 4 | 106,945 | 29 |
| Rutgers | 2.4 | 89 | 38,350 | 8 | 92,139 | 36 |
Historical Perspective: 1990 and 2003 ARL Ranking
Rutgers Total Materials Expenditures:
1990: 9th
Behind only UCLA, Michigan, Berkeley among comparison universities
2003: 32nd
Total Library Expenditures:
1990: 9th
Behind only UCLA, Michigan, Berkeley among comparison universities
2003: 20th