BUDGET PRODUCTIVE SPACES Reservable study room usage also reached new highs with afternoon and early evening occupancy rates reaching 90%. Overall, study room occupancy rates for all hours averaged 76.3% for 2020-21 compared to a previous high of 56.2%. The increased traffic in the library has highlighted the need for more reservable study rooms and the need to make more efficient use of the available seating and study areas within the library. One addition to the library’s space for 2020-21 was a collaboration with the Department of Art, Design, and Theatre (ADT). The library provided space for an art exhibit in Fall 2020 and for senior exhibitions throughout Spring 2021. This offered variety to the library’s space while providing an exhibit location for ADT as they transitioned to a new permanent display space. Library expenditures for 2020-21 totaled $1,773,257 with personnel expenses accounting for just over 50% and resource expenses for just under 40% of total expenditures. Systems and operational costs accounted for the remaining 10%. The library ended the year with a surplus consisting primarily of a planned $100,000 underspend due to COVID. The departures of several staff members and one unfilled position also contributed significantly to the surplus amount as those positions were vacant for part of the year. The library spent $684,118 on resources with 61% allocated toward digital materials. A common challenge for libraries (and across higher education) is the regular increase in subscription costs and the pressure this places on fixed budgets. Over the past ten years, continuing library database subscriptions have increased an average of 5% per year, with some individual databases doubling in cost over that period. These regular increases have forced us to allocate additional funds from other budget areas to pay for this content, leading to declines in spending on other areas such as print books, print serials, and A/V materials and equipment. These changes have, to an extent, been paralleled by changes in the informationseeking behaviors of faculty and students, which have also seen digital collections gain usage while physical collections register declines in usage. These trends in cost and in usage do not appear likely to change in the short-term, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find additional funds to redirect toward current database subscriptions, much less new ones. This academic year saw a massive jump in library attendance, even when measured against the increase in library traffic over the last several years. No doubt, traffic was buoyed by the opening of a campus dining facility adjacent to the library. But this addition was also offset by campus COVID restrictions. In Fall semester, when more restrictions were in place, attendance was down 12% while Spring attendance was up 25% compared to pre-COVID numbers. Attendance changes were not evenly distributed with weekdays and Saturdays increasing by 25% while Sunday attendance fell by 21%. Database Subscription Price Increase From 2011 to 2021 47.8%
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