Ball State’s University Libraries have a budget that hasn’t increased in 15 years.
This has caused “financial challenges,” said Yaron Ayalon, faculty council chair, in an email. Because of this, faculty council created a resolution urging administration to increase the budget.
The resolution calls for the library materials budget to increase by a minimum of $2 million over the next five years. Ayalon said faculty council hopes this resolution will help administration decide future funding for the library.
The resolution will need to be approved by both faculty council and Student Government Association (SGA) before administration can make a decision on it.
When budget development begins February 2019, the library budget will be considered “as a part of the broader total university budget,” said Kathy Wolf, vice president for marketing and communications.
“Some faculty believe it is necessary to increase the libraries’ budget to better support our faculty and students’ success,” Wolf said. “The libraries are not experiencing a financial crisis. Instead, they are effectively working within their budget to provide the best resources to students and faculty.”
Because of the stagnant budget, University Libraries have canceled 1,583 subscriptions totaling $847,472 since 2007, the resolution states.
Ball State recognizes the importance of “investing in library resources,” Wolf said. Faculty council is continuing to seek information to inform future budget decisions, she said.
The university's expenditure of $2.05 million on library materials ranked last compared to all Mid-American Conference schools, according to the resolution.
A library’s budget goes toward journals, electronic content, physical materials, subscriptions and research tools, said Julie Garrison, dean of Western Michigan University Libraries. Western Michigan's libraries were listed as having a budget approximately $5.4 million more than Ball State.
“It’s just expensive,” Garrison said. “But, you know, a budget for acquisitions alone doesn’t make a library great.”
Western Michigan’s Libraries have had a flat budget for the last 10 years, she said.
Because the prices of library subscriptions inflate each year, she said the library has to get creative to keep up with rising prices. For example, she said the library looks to lease materials rather than own them.
“We are always looking to make the best choices based upon what our universities need,” Garrison said. “I don’t think what Ball State is dealing with, with a flat budget right now, is unusual.”
Student Government Association (SGA) voted unanimously to endorse the resolution to increase the budget at its meeting Oct. 24.
The endorsement represents the student body’s support of the resolution, said chief of staff Kathy Berryhill.
However, SGA senator Jacob Hobbs said he wanted to be cautious before endorsing the resolution.
“While I think this important … we don’t want to spend more money just for the sake of not being last,” Hobbs said. “Be cautious when deciding this sort of thing.”
When The Daily News reached out to dean of university libraries Matthew Shaw, they were referred to Wolf.
Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter @liz_rieth.
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