HIGHLIGHTS
COLLECTION MANAGERS' FORUM
October 27, 2004

Main Library, 10:30-12:00

Handouts distributed:

• Materials Budget Adjustment Strategy - Simplified Funding Structure

Discussed:

Intro: Simplifying Funding Structure / Re-allocating funds (J. Bracken)

       Today's topic suggested at the last Collection Managers' Forum (July 21, 2004), and further discussed at CAC (Oct. 14, 2004).

The issue:

• Budget = same as last year
• How do we deal as best as we can with what we have now?
• No serials cancellation project this year (Cancellation of last year bought us some time; can use this time to address these issues)

Materials Budget Adjustment Strategy - comments on steps taken to this point (see handout). (M. Hamilton)

• Serials - CAC currently sorting through the following and assigning to different collection managers
  - LRN Titles
  - Centrally funded titles & memberships (IFLA, SPARC,ARL)
  - Plus some jointly funded titles
  
  
• Monographs - Checking for duplicate holdings in OL
  - some concern about smaller OhioLINK libraries not retaining last copies
  CIRM should consider this & re-evaluate policies for withdrawal of last copies
  (perhaps libraries withdrawing last copy should offer to a depository site)
  
  
• Monographs: YBP virtual approvals - more training to be coming

Today’s Topic = Overall Fund Structure
Note: discussing only allocated funds (no friends, no RF) and any changes would need to be implemented very gradually

Proposed:

1. merge small & misc. funds (17 are under $1000) into larger funds? (would be possible to track these subcategories in another way)
   
   
2. merge 1 and 2 funds
   - would allow one to purchase approval selections with any 1 fund (including RF, friends, endowments, etc.)
   - would continue to set aside approval $$ for specific plans
   (Harrassowitz most problematic, since multi-disciplinary, but could probably pull out some disciplines and move to YBP)
   - standing order commitments would have to be provided for
   
   
3. develop formula for equitable fund relocation
   
   
4. gradual reallocation
   
   
5. periodic review & adjustment

The Real Question = Two Choices

1. leave things as they are
   
2. create formula for allocation of funds

Discussion:

• Question: What other locations have done this? How have they done it?
  - Faculty were involved in the discussion/ decisions/criteria.
  - Comment – We should read the literature, talk to those with experience in this process
  - comment – involve Library Council
  - comment - OSUL should come up w/ plans before presenting to faculty
  - comment - bear in mind frequent reorganizations in University departments and divisions
  - suggestion – analyze our current situation and look at peers to determine whether any of our areas are really under funded
  
  
• Straw vote on merging 1 and 2 funds - unanimous; can go ahead and start on that
  
  
• comment – would like flexibility to determine an area’s percentages for monos and serials; vs all restricted to 70/30 (noted: some new flexibility for purchases has been implemented)
  
  
• Straw vote – decision that some investigation into new fund structure should be undertaken
  - comment – thorny issue with inter-disciplinary studies(e.g., all those other areas that use and purchase “history” resources (not just History Dept. & courses involved)
  - comment – look at OSUL’s peer institutions
  - comment -look at how OSU reallocates the budget
  

SUMMARY

• Support for merging 1&2 funds; aiming for June 2005
• Support for investigating formulas; CAC will spearhead efforts