Acquisitions at Wits Library

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Acquisitions at Wits Library

• Dianne Man

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Acquisitions?

• Our definition all purchases against the
  information resources budget
• Includes books, journals, databases, multimedia
  (CDs, DVDs, kits, videos, music scores, etc.

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Outline

• Historical developments
• Getting the money
• Dividing up the money between faculties and the
  Library
• Ordering procedure - manual
• Ordering procedure electronic (new)
  Carole/Moira/Judy

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Background up to 2001

• Library budgets tended to be flat, very little
  increase yearly
• No formula, books and periodicals kept separate
• Book budgets based on historical expenditure
• Periodicals just enough to cover renewals
• Many journal cancellations projects
• High price increases, weak Rand exchange rate

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After 2001

• Restructuring of Faculties Schools
• Historical data no longer applicable
• Unhappiness over Science eating up most of
  periodicals budget
• Faculties concerned about under-funding of
  Library
• New govt funding formula proposed
• Library funding formula based on govt formula
  discussed

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Library Budget Allocation Formula

• Finalised 2001, reviewed 2004, 2006
• Use govt (DoE) framework, but different
  weightings
• Use objective data (MIU) for calculations
• Criteria FTE UG students graduates, PGs,
  research pubs and FTE teaching staff weighted
  by average books and journal prices

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Setting the Information Resources budget for the
next year

• Process starts in June of current year
• Estimate expenditure for current year
• Add on
• Price increases for periodicals using estimates
  from subscription agents
• Currency fluctuations
• Wish list of new databases
• Incorporate in overall Library budget
• Submit to SPARC

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Getting the Money from FRAC to SPARC

• SPARC is a newly created committee in 2006, new
  rules, new Chief Financial Officer
• SPARC Strategic Planning Allocation and
  Resources Committee
• Was FRAC (Financial Resources Allocation
  Committee)
• Library budget no longer ring-fenced
• 2007 budget not yet finalised depends on govt
  subsidy and student registrations
• Problem of uncertainty and delays

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The Flow of Money
SPARC
Finance Committee
University Council
Library
Research
Support Services
Students
Academic (faculties)
Etc.
Etc.
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Dividing up the Library budget
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Dividing up the Info Res funding between
Faculties and the Library

• Acquisitions is done from Information Resources
  budget
• Faculties / Schools may use some of their own
  funding
• Info Res budget is divided up by means of the
  Library budget allocation formula
• Formula is updated every second year or at
  discretion of Senate Library Committee
• Prof Marsicano of Chemistry is the expert

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Information Resources Budget

• Sabinet
• Binding
• Clearing charges, VAT, etc.
• SANLIC (SASLI) service fees
• Balance Information resources
• 30 topslice, 70 to faculties
• Topslice is currently under review

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Budget Allocation Formula 2007
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Library Topslice

• For resources used by 2 or more faculties
• Electronic databases
• Indexes and abstracts
• Interdisciplinary material
• Multiple copies
• Replacement copies
• Reference material
• Special collections Govt Pubs, Africana,
  Multimedia
• Exchanges
• Other purchases at the discretion of the Library
• Balancing the budget

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IR Allocations Workflow
Senate Library Committee approves allocations
Dean / Chair of Faculty Library Committee /
Faculty Business Manager / Senior Librarian
Faculty allocation sub-allocated among Schools
Schools and Library advised of sub-allocations
School sub-allocations input on
Millennium Ordering commences for books
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Procedure for ordering books

• When book budget is granted to a School, orders
  can commence
• Academic staff or librarians fill in cards
• Send to senior/branch librarian for checking
  (duplicates, incorrect info, edition, etc.)
• Send to Acquisitions
• Orders are input on Millennium and sent to book
  suppliers electronically
• Books are easier to handle non-recurrent funding

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Procedure for Periodicals

• Periodicals journals serials
• Databases groups of journals
• By publisher, eg ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Wiley,
  Springer
• By aggregator, eg EbscoHost, ProQuest, Thomson
  Gale
• Indexes / abstracts, eg ISI Web of Science, EI
  Village
• Expenditure against Faculty budget must be
  approved by Faculty Library Committee / Dean /
  other Faculty committee eg Faculty Exec Com
• Only expenditure against the topslice can be
  approved by the Library
• Very few print journals are not ordered, only
  electronic
• Databases are ordered via SASLI deals (now
  SANLIC)

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Changing Times Collection Development in the
Print
Individual Library Selects Content
Order from Vendor
Acquire process
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Changing Times Collection Development in the
Electronic Information Chain
Choose Format
Print only?
E-only?
Print Electronic?
Order from Vendor
Acquire Process
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Database Subscriptions

• Negotiations done by SANLIC / SASLI
• Trials are set up for evaluation purposes
• For publisher databases (big deals)
• Check holdings
• Check pricing and affordability
• Generally cost of current print spend platform
  fee content fee, or current spend for
  additional titles
• Check value for money (how many additional titles
  come as part of the deal)
• If e-only, cancel print subscriptions
• Amend order on Millennium
• Licence agreement must be signed
• Link to e-Journal Portal
• Cross link to Indexes / Abstracts (eg Web of
  Science)
• Print vs electronic electronic involves a lot
  of work too

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Other formats to be acquired

• Multimedia - CDs, videos, DVDs, etc.
• Videos problems of wear and tear and changing
  technology
• DVDs no fixed standard yet
• Electronic books (e-books)
• Starting to take off
• Publisher deals still evolving
• Has potential to replace multicopies of books
• Perennial problem of Internet bandwidth

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Collection Development

• SPARC budget must be linked to strategic plan
• Collection development expenditure must be
  linked to collection development policy
• Librarys Collection Development Policy last
  updated in 1993
• Faculty / Faculty Lib Com must work on collection
  development policy with Library

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Acquisitions new technological developments

• Academic staff are tired of filling in order
  cards
• Have asked for electronic ordering system
• Topic of next presentation
• QUESTIONS SO FAR?