dc.contributor.author	McKendrick, Joseph
dc.date.accessioned	2014-10-10T16:58:58Z
dc.date.available	2014-10-10T16:58:58Z
dc.date.issued	2012-04
dc.identifier.citation	McKendrick, J. (2012). <i>The digital squeeze: Libraries at the crossroads : The library resource guide benchmark study on 2012 library spending plans</i> (Academic libraries ed.). New Providence, NJ: Unisphere Research.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10428/1879
dc.description	ACADEMIC LIBRARIES EDITION The Digital Squeeze: Libraries at the Crossroads—The Library Resource Guide Benchmark Study on 2012 Library Spending Plans was produced by Unisphere Research and sponsored by ProQuest. Unisphere Research is the market research unit of Unisphere Media, a division of Information Today, Inc., publishers of Database Trends and Applications magazine and the 5 Minute Briefing newsletters. To review abstracts of our past reports, visit www.dbta.com/About_Us#Unisphere. Unisphere Media, 630 Central Avenue, Murray Hill, New Providence, NJ 07974; 908-795-3701, Email: twilson@infotoday.com, Web: www.dbta.com. Data collection and analysis performed with SurveyMethods. © Copyright 2012, Information Today, Inc. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.description.abstract	Faced with tight or stagnant budgets, academic libraries are re-assessing and shifting their roles within North America’s universities, colleges, and technical schools. Many patrons of today's academic libraries are students who are members of Generation Y, and have grown up expecting rapid delivery of information via the latest consumer technology. Today's academic libraries may still be located within a physical facility on campus with four walls, but the services and materials that libraries are delivering increasingly are online. Libraries need to be available 24x7, from any device students may bring on campus. These are the findings of a new study, conducted by the Library Resource Guide (LRG)—in conjunction with Unisphere Research, the market research division of Information Today, Inc. (ITI). The survey, conducted in December 2011 among libraries listed in ITI’s American Library Directory, reveals current spending patterns for academic libraries—defined as libraries that are part of universities, colleges, community colleges, and technical schools—and provides projections for budgets and spending trends for 2012. In total, 291 academic library managers or librarians participated in this year's survey. In separate reports in this series, public community, government, and special libraries are also covered. A majority of the academic libraries covered in this survey, 82%, are affiliated with four-year and graduate-level universities and colleges. Another 18% represent community colleges and two-year technical schools. Among the participants in the survey are directors, administrators, managers, department heads, and librarians from the complete range of library settings. The largest segment, 31%, are directors and administrators, and 17% are librarians across various categories. (For detailed demographic breakdowns, see Figures 40–43 at the end of this report.) Libraries covered in the survey represent a range of structures, sizes, and segments. More than a third, 33%, serve populations of fewer than 2,500 full-time-equivalent students, and 18% serve academic settings between 2,500 and 5,000 students. Another 20% service between 5,000 and 10,000 students. Twenty-five percent report their schools, colleges, or universities have more than 10,000 students enrolled. Close to half, 47%, are single, independent, or standalone libraries, while another 21% are single facilities that are part of a larger multi-campus or multi-branch system. About 13% of respondents are reporting for entire library systems with multiple campuses, branches, or facilities. Another 15% did not answer for this category because they were unable to report budget figures. Geographically, the largest segment, 30%, came from the South/Southeast United States (including Puerto Rico), and 29% are from Midwestern schools. Another 20% represented libraries in the northeastern states, and 14% in the West (including Hawaii). Six percent of respondents are in Canadian provinces, primarily Ontario. Key findings from the survey include the following: Overall, funding for academic libraries has remained steady over the past year, and respondents see this trend continuing for the year ahead. Much of the funding streaming into academic libraries is helping to maintain staffing levels, but there is an increasing amount of resources being migrated to digital formats. Digital content now consumes as much of academic libraries’ budgets as printed materials. The shift to the digital library has accelerated noticeably since the last survey just a year ago. More than three-fourths of respondents report that demand for their libraries’ electronic offerings has increased over the past year, and a majority say there is rising demand for ebooks from students and faculty. More academic libraries are embracing cloud computing as well to help meet patron needs. Digital dominates the agendas of most academic libraries this year, with respondents focusing more of their time and resources on increasing the availability of online publications and increasing digital access to these resources—part of a larger long-term shift to serving as digital information hubs for their campuses. Budgets remain tight, and many institutions are exploring new sources of funding. Ultimately, the concept of a campus library is evolving to mean more than a physical facility with four walls. “Students want the same amount of resource access and support when they research remotely as they do when they are on campus in the library,” says the chief librarian for a college in Kansas. “That includes library orientation and research training. Additionally, proxy access to resources is essential. Resource use drops dramatically when students don’t have seamless access. Students also want an adequate amount of resource media. They want books, mags, journals, videos, databases ... all of it. And for recreation, not just school support.”	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.publisher	Unisphere Research	en_US
dc.subject	Library Resource Guide	en_US
dc.subject	Academic Libraries	en_US
dc.subject	Library Budgets	en_US
dc.subject	Digital Academic Library	en_US
dc.subject	Demographics	en_US
dc.title	THE DIGITAL SQUEEZE: LIBRARIES AT THE CROSSROADS	en_US
dc.title.alternative	THE LIBRARY RESOURCE GUIDE BENCHMARK STUDY ON 2012 LIBRARY SPENDING PLANS	en_US
dc.type	Technical Report	en_US