CIBER research group at University College London today announced the completion of its global library survey that concerns challenges, trends, and best practices in tough economic times.

To register for a free copy of the complete report visit this page. It’s scheduled to be released on Thursday at The Charleston Conference during a presentation by executives from CIBER, YPB, and ebrary.

What Follows are a Few Key Findings From the Study:

+ The current financial year is a tough one for academic libraries, with 34.7% of institutions receiving a total library budget that is at least 5% smaller than the previous year (excluding inflation).

+ The outlook in two years’ time is mixed, with 31.4% expecting their total library budget to be smaller than in the current financial year, 40.1% about the same, and 28.4%
expecting an increase.

+ Overall, resource budgets are more vulnerable than personnel, services or infrastructure, with monographs and print journals being the most vulnerable to cutbacks.

+ When trimming their resources budget, libraries were least likely to cut e-books, followed by electronic-only serials and database subscriptions.

+ 52.5% of libraries view the acceleration of print to digital as the most effective option for balancing their budgets, with subscription as the most popular method.

A total of 800 libraries (academic, government, public, and others) from around the world participated in the study.

Summary ||| Register for Full Text (Free)

Source: ebrary

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