Cutting Deep: Two Campuses Navigate Abrupt and Unexpected Collections Budget Reductions
Abstract
At UC San Diego, facing significant state, university, and library budget constraints this year, collection strategists were asked to reduce local collections spending by approximately half of their $3 million spend within about two months.
At UC Berkeley, the collections budget had to be reduced by $1.7 million over the course of two years starting in 2022, driving the arts and humanities division to cut 14% across their funds.
This presentation will cover two main aspects of these projects: First, a summary overview of each project will include a discussion of the parameters and restrictions, how targets were developed for spending reductions across acquisition models and formats, the data used for decision-making, and the communication process with colleagues and campus. Second, the panel members will explore the differences in approach across a full range of subject areas when allocating funds and determining which subscriptions to keep or cancel. This will highlight the stark differences between disciplinary needs for electronic and print, continuations and one-time expenses, foreign and domestic vendors, and other considerations. We will discuss incorporating equity and inclusion principles into the process of reducing a collections budget to the benefit of the library and users. Panelists will also reflect on mistakes made and lessons learned during this project.