Fund Allocation

• The Libraries' materials budget is allocated by subject area for firm orders, i.e., one-time orders for monographic materials or serials backfiles.

• Subject area fund distribution is guided by
  -- the availability of endowed funds, i.e., interest accrued from endowments;
  -- recent fiscal year spending patterns;
  -- the number of items of various types received annually, i.e., approvals, firm orders, periodicals, serials;
  -- and projected expenditures for non-print materials.

• State support for the university can be limited or reduced. This can affect the materials budget.

• Criteria which may help subject librarians make selection decisions in times of budget cuts include
  -- information about clientele, curriculum, and research needs;
  -- formats or material types not regularly used;
  -- subject dependence on serial literature rather than information in monographs;
  -- approval plan changes;
  -- need for purchases in foreign languages or from foreign suppliers.

• The Libraries occasionally receive unexpected money. Subject librarians maintain a desiderata file of expensive materials in case money must be spent quickly.