Periodical Management Using Algorithm Budgeting Method

Abstract

Azungwe Kwembe, Serials and Electronic Resources Librarian, Chicago State University.

At Chicago State University, the Library has been experiencing a budget crisis where every year we have to cancel periodicals in order to cover the cost of our periodical subscriptions. In order to be fair, I examined all the subject areas, and looked at how much money is spent on periodicals in each program area, and the actual amount that is allocated in the area. This is where the algorithm comes in. The funds are distributed using criteria such, availability of titles, Price index, constituencies weighted, programs weighted range average, and credit hours offered and conspectus. Steps in the procedure include: requesting a report of all the titles that the library subscribes to with their prices in an Excel spreadsheet format; sorting them by Library of Congress call number, separating them according to program subject areas, and comparing the cost with the actual allocated budget from the algorithm. If any area is over the algorithm budget, the bibliographer for the area is notified of how much money needs to be cut. Sometimes this process is done just so that the savings from a cancellation can be used to add new titles to under spent areas to keep the budget balanced.