In light of the budgetary pressures affecting Duke University and higher education more generally, the Perkins Library system will need to contain expenditures for library collections in FY2010 and subsequent years.  To cover increasing costs for subscriptions to journals, databases, and other resources, the Libraries will reduce their current commitments by approximately $480,000 for FY2010. 

Last fall, based on information obtained from vendors and publishers, the Libraries projected that our costs for journals, databases, and other resources to which we subscribe would increase by 7 to 8%, or slightly more than $600,000.  We now expect cost increases to be more moderate, since publishers are well aware of the budgetary pressures libraries are facing.  Nevertheless, with a flat collections budget appropriation for FY2010, we believe we need to cut $384,000 from our current subscriptions and standing orders and reduce expenditures for monographs and binding by $96,000 in order to be sure that we can balance the FY2010 collections budget.

Target amounts for subscription reductions in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, international and area studies, and interdisciplinary fields have been established based on the percentage of the subscriptions budget devoted to each of these areas. While we regret that we must decrease our collecting, most research libraries are facing the same situation, and we believe that the process proposed will ensure broad participation in the decisions that affect the range of resources available to faculty and students. During April and May, subject librarians will be reviewing current subscriptions to identify titles that should be considered for cancellation.  Proposals for cancellation will be completed by the end of May, and the Libraries’ Collections Council will make decisions in June and July.  Criteria will include low usage, high cost per use, low impact, duplication, availability at other Triangle libraries or by document delivery, and assessments of value and importance by subject librarians, faculty, and other library users.  As candidates for cancellation are identified, subject librarians will be in contact with faculty to request feedback.<

Time Line

April 2009	Distribution of proposed cancellation lists for review
April - May 2009	Faculty and students review lists of proposed cancellations
May 22, 2009	Deadline for comments about cancellation lists
June 19, 2009	Final lists of cancellations posted
July 1, 2009	Initiate cancellation process

 Titles being considered for cancellation are listed above by discipline.  Contact the subject librarian responsible for the title listed if you have concerns about the title.

The Libraries are committed to providing the resources you and your students need, and we value your partnership with us in achieving the most effective use of the collections budget for that purpose.

Please contact Robert Byrd if you have general questions or concerns about the cancellation process.

Collections Budget Review Intranet Site (Library Staff Only)