JAMES HARDIMAN LIBRARY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY
Budget Efficiencies: University advice to budget holders on Library spending
To maximize efficient budget deployment, the University issued a number of points of advice in early
November to budget holders (also posted to University Intranet) regarding a range of expenditures,
including the following points specific to Library spending:
n Limit new subscriptions to journals and
The second and third points refer to non-
maximize the use of those available
duplication of print and online formats, and this
through the Irish Research eLibrary (IReL)
is something we have already begun to
which delivers over 25000 e-journals,
implement. This practice is already common at
satisfying most demand.
other libraries as there are considerable
additional costs associated with handling and,
n Eliminate duplication of content between
especially, storing both print and online journals.
print and online formats; the Library takes
Online access for many journals is secure post-
about 1500 journals in printed format, some
cancellation, or in the event of the publisher
of which are also accessible online.
going out of business. We will therefore be
n Develop a policy towards the use of online
favouring the online format on its own to the
journals only. Online journals reduce the
maximum extent for journals. Library
need to bind, cost less and do not require
Committee discussed this issue at its December
expensive storage space.
2008 meeting and it was agreed that secure
online access would be an essential prerequisite
n Use your books budget allocation wisely – in any transition to electronic-only access.
consider carefully the number of copies
needed and encourage students to purchase
copies of core texts where appropriate.
n IReL should continue to reduce Inter-
Library Loans as material previously
unavailable locally is now available online.
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