Breakout Session: What are the problems of working in small libraries e.g.,
increased work-loads, decreased funding?
By John Carlson University of
Wisconsin-Madison
Center for Demography Information Services
Participants: Christopher Cahill
(Harvard Center for Population & Development Studies), John Carlson
(University of Wisconsin - Madison, Center for Demography Information
Services), Gretl Cox (John Snow Inc.), Diane Fisher (University of Texas
at Austin, Population Research Center Library), Pearl Johnson (University
of Michigan, Population Studies Center) and Kay Willson (The Future's
Group International).
Problems: As information service
providers, the participants expressed a concern for the future of their
collections and their ability to meet the demands of their users because
of the impact of recent core grant renewals. Diane Fisher reported that
two Librarians and a Library Assistant position have been cut from her
Library as a result of the last couple of grant renewals and that she is
employed for only thirty hours per week. John Carlson added that his
center will have its professional staff reduced from 1 1/2 full-time
employees to one, effective July 31, 2000 due to a recent grant reduction.
A reduction in grant funding has also resulted in the removal of the
census collection from the University of Texas-Austin library, where Diane
Fisher works. Kay Willson added that her collection has also been reduced
and that she has lost some physical space too. Gretl Cox also mentioned a
loss of physical space due to an increase in the number of meetings being
held in her Library and some concern over three contracts that were ending
this year.
Solutions:There was a general
consensus that services will be affected as a result of recent grant
reduction or funding trends and that we as information professionals must
learn to prioritize our workload, consider cutting services, and become
more assertive in our relationship with our governing bodies. As an
example, Diane Fisher indicated that she considered providing information
as her first priority. Suggestions for coping due to budget and staff cuts
included not handling reference requests from outside users, using a
subscription vendor to handle journal subscriptions, non participation in
the APLIC-I DUPS program, and the offsite storage of journals. There were
conflicting views as to whether to let your users know the cost of
services and to what extent faculty should be involved in weeding of any
collection.
We may want to place this topic on the
permanent breakout session list for the next few years if recent trends
are any indication of the future.