Abstract
In 2009, the University of Guelph (UG) Library’s Organizational Renewal Initiative created new strategic teams to replace its existing liaison-based service model. The five new teams were charged with the delivery of service clusters (traditional and emerging) in alignment with the University’s academic mission. The new Information Resources (IR) team of specialist librarians and professional staff are charged with deepening their skills and engagement within specified team objectives/accountabilities, collection development, management, and assessment.
The team-based ethos of the new IR Team has reshaped how the institution allocates, budgets, and orients its work for monographic collections. Factors which have shaped UG’s unique approach to this core team activity include increased consortial licensing, evolving publishing trends, the growth of multi-institutional research teams and discipline clusters within the University, evolving research and teaching modalities, an increased focus on accountability, and the demise of formal university governance bodies. Monograph budgeting has shifted from departmental budget allocations to broader, cross-institutional allocations in response to resource format changes and shifting strategic priorities. A paradigm shift from allocation metrics towards post hoc adjustments based on curricular need and efficiency is described. Time-series linked examples of current UG Monograph budget structures illustrate this budgetary evolution, and external systems and tools to actively manage monographs budgeting and expenditure processes will be discussed.
Strategies from a Selector’s point of view and that of the Team Head to adapt, change, guide, and modify budgeting practices also are analyzed. Two significant challenges to the team-based process (monitoring expenditures and improving stakeholder communications) are identified.
Figure 1 – Information Resources Team Organization Chart
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Figure 2 – Monograph Budgeting
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Figure 3 – Tracking Expenditures
This Ain’t Your Papa’s Allocation Formula! Team-Based Approaches to Monograph Collections Budgets
In 2009, the University of Guelph (UG) Library’s Organizational Renewal Initiative created new strategic teams to replace its existing liaison-based service model. The five new teams were charged with the delivery of service clusters (traditional and emerging) in alignment with the University’s academic mission. The new Information Resources (IR) team of specialist librarians and professional staff are charged with deepening their skills and engagement within specified team objectives/accountabilities, collection development, management, and assessment.
The team-based ethos of the new IR Team has reshaped how the institution allocates, budgets, and orients its work for monographic collections. Factors which have shaped UG’s unique approach to this core team activity include increased consortial licensing, evolving publishing trends, the growth of multi-institutional research teams and discipline clusters within the University, evolving research and teaching modalities, an increased focus on accountability, and the demise of formal university governance bodies. Monograph budgeting has shifted from departmental budget allocations to broader, cross-institutional allocations in response to resource format changes and shifting strategic priorities. A paradigm shift from allocation metrics towards post hoc adjustments based on curricular need and efficiency is described. Time-series linked examples of current UG Monograph budget structures illustrate this budgetary evolution, and external systems and tools to actively manage monographs budgeting and expenditure processes will be discussed.
Strategies from a Selector’s point of view and that of the Team Head to adapt, change, guide, and modify budgeting practices also are analyzed. Two significant challenges to the team-based process (monitoring expenditures and improving stakeholder communications) are identified.