Town Hall Meeting on May 26th Confirmed; Proposed University Budget Released

On Friday President Machen released the proposed University Budget. The Smathers Libraries, including the Health Science Center Libraries (HSCL), will not have any faculty or staff layoffs and there will be no reduction (other than the loss of purchasing power) in our materials budgets. The Libraries budget will be reduced by $642,296 (2.4%), based on the Libraries priorities as submitted.

A town hall meeting on the Libraries budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 2 p.m. in Smathers 1A. At that meeting we will discuss the implications of the Libraries' budget cuts identified by President Machen.

Town Hall Meeting TENTATIVELY Scheduled for May 26th

A Town Hall Meeting on the 2009-2010 Budget for the Smathers Libraries, including the Health Science Center Libraries, has been TENTATIVELY scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Smathers (Library East) Room 1A.

I am expecting to receive the 2009-2010 budget from the Provost next week; however, if I do not have official information by the 26th, the meeting will be postponed.

Although this meeting will be specific to the Smathers Libraries budget, including the Health Science Center Libraries, it is an open meeting and individuals from the Legal Information Center and FCLA are welcome to come. University Libraries Committee members are also invited.

Request for Additional Support From the Division of Sponsored Research (DSR)

Yesterday I sent the following e-mail message to Frank Ward in the UF Division of Sponsored Research (DSR) on behalf of the Smathers Libraries, including HSCL:

I have attached a PDF File of my letter in response to your April 6^th inquiry about how the Libraries used the DSR funds provided to us in 2008-2009. The letter will be delivered to your office later today.

I have used your request for information as an opportunity to address, once again, the Libraries’ need for increased funding from DSR to sustain the range of resources currently available to the many researchers who have been so successful in bringing research grants and contracts to the University.

The Smathers Libraries and the Health Science Center Libraries have lost $1.7 million in purchasing power in the three years from 2007-2008 through 2009-2010. DSR support is more important than ever as we endeavor to allocate increasingly scarce resources to support the information needs of research faculty, staff and students.

I recognize that this is a difficult year for the University and that there are many demands being made for scarce resources. I hope that you will consider increasing your support for UF researchers through this investment in the Libraries as you make the DSR resource allocation decisions. Wallace [McLendon] and I would be happy to meet with you or to provide more information if that would be helpful.

The complete letter is available here on the blog along with links to other documents related to the budget planning process.

Budget Message to President Machen and Provost Glover

Last night I sent the following message to President Machen and Provost Glover:

This afternoon at the Faculty Senate meeting, you asked that we make recommendations directly to you and bring other relevant information to your attention.

I have been informed by the deans of libraries at FSU and USF that their universities have decided not to include the libraries’ materials budgets in the proposed cuts.

In the April 1st submission, we identified $993,942 in cuts to the materials budget for the Smathers Libraries, including HSCL, on top of $534,738 in lost purchasing power.

As the University Library Committee stated in its resolution in support of the Libraries’ budget, “A cut in library budgets would have a detrimental effect on every educational and research program at the University.”

The Libraries’ budgets were held harmless in 2008-2009 in spite of the difficult economic situation and the campus was grateful, as were the Libraries’ faculty and staff. I hope you will consider a similar protection for the Libraries this year, at least for the materials budget.

Thank you.


Provost Glover replied:

Thanks Judy. We will give your comments serious consideration. As you can imagine, the final determination may depend on how many degrees of freedom we have after the Legislature acts. -- Joe

2009-2010 Materials Budget Cuts by Circle

A PDF file has been posted to the blog that itemizes the proposed cuts in the 2009-2010 materials budget by circle. This includes both the reductions necessitated by loss of purchasing power due to price increases and the cuts identified in response to the request to plan for a 10% reduction in funding.

Questions can be posted to the blog or sent to the Senior Associate Dean and the Dean. If you wish to recommend substitutions, please provide a rationale/justification for the change.

Moderating the Blog

I have changed this blog to moderate comments before they are posted. I did not do this lightly or without careful consideration, and I do it with some reluctance.

The purpose of this blog is to solicit a broad base of input to a process which is affecting our entire organization and the campus we serve. It is not to provide a forum for anonymous personal attacks. I will withhold comments that are demeaning or intimidating to specific individuals. All other comments and questions will be posted promptly. (NOTE: The comments that have been posted to date would all have been posted under this standard.)

I will continue to allow anonymous posts so that people who wish to express relevant opinions will have a place to speak, even if they do not they wish to be identified. I believe it is important to offer that option. I do not want the fact that the blog is moderated to have a chilling affect on its legitimate use to express opinions, so please continue to submit your questions, comments or suggestions.

2009-2010 Budget Reduction Proposal for the George A. Smathers Libraries, Including the Health Science Center Libraries

On April 1st, the Libraries submitted our 2009-2010 budget reduction proposal to the Provost. The Libraries were asked to identify budget cuts of $387,799 from the Health Science Center Libraries and $2.278 million from the Smathers Libraries, for a total of $2,665,799.

The 10% budget reduction proposal was submitted on a spreadsheet and accompanied by a narrative. Both documents are posted here on the blog as PDF files.

The narrative includes the University Library Committee resolution in support of the Libraries' budgets and identifies strategic decisions reflected in the proposed personnel reductions. It also documents that the Libraries will have lost $1.7 million in purchasing power in the three years from 2007-2008 through 2009-2010, independent of any reduction in our materials budget, due to price increases in the print and electronic information resources that we acquire for our users.