Annual Report. Utah College Library Council. 1973-1974

UCLC/Annual Report UTAH COLLEGE LIBRARY COUNCIL 1973-74 an Era of Cooperation THE UTAH COLLEGE LIBRARY COUNCIL (UCLC) October 1, 1973 - September 30, 1974 The Council State Institutions 8. Utah Technical College at Provo Library 1. College of Eastern Utah George W. Tanner, Director Library Troy Anderson, Director 9. Weber State College Library Craige S. Hall, Director 2 , Dixie College Library Robert O. Dalton, Director Private Institutions 3. Eccles Medical Library 10. Brigham Young University University of Utah Libraries Priscilla M. Mayden, Director Donald K. Nelson, Director 4. Snow College Library 11. Clark Law Library Ruth C, Olsen, Director Brigham Young University David Lloyd, Director (to 4/7/74) 5. Southern Utah State David A. Thomas, Director College Library (4/8/74 on) A. Thomas Challis, Director 12. Westminster College Library 6. University of Utah Libraries Richard Wunder, Director Roger K. Hanson, Director State Library Commission 7. Utah State University Library Amy Owen (to 5/31/74) Milton C. Abrams, Director Russell L. Davis (6/1/74 on) Officers and Committees Chairman Acquisitions Committee Donald K. Nelson A. Dean Larsen, Chairman Vice Chairman Public Services Committee Milton C. Abrams Marvin E. Wiggins, Chairman Executive Secretary Systems Application Committee K. Paul Jordan John R. Taylor, Chairman Era of Cooperation A new and very timely era of cooperation was initiated three years ago when the administrators of Utah's college and university libraries formed the Utah College Library Council (UCLC). Established to combat mounting problems that threatened the quality of academic library services, this consortium has achieved a rather substantial record. The following pages of this report will indicate (1) the challenges Utah's academic libraries face in providing for the needs of their student, faculty, and staff patrons, and (2) the accomplishments of the UCLC in at least partially meeting these challenges. Annual dues for libraries with 500,000 or more volumes are $200, and dues for libraries with less than 500,000 volumes are $100. Meetings are held in September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and July. EXPENDITURES AND INCOME TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1974 Receipts Expenditures $1736.32 $374.79 $1341.66 Interlibrary Loan Income from Dues Balance forward (shown in income section) and Unexpended balance (shown in expenditures section) Printing costs In-service training costs $1631.45 $1237.75 $214.44 $397.45 Challenges We Face THE WORLD'S KNOWLEDGE EXPLOSION It is generally accepted that the world's accumulation of know-ledge is presently doubling every ten to fifteen years. As the written word is the most significant medium for recording and preserving man's gains in knowledge, the following world publishing statistics sup-port the explosion concept. ANNUAL WORLD BOOK PRODUCTION 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 702,700* 546,000 450,000 364,000 285,000 *Projected Book Production Source: UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1971, p, 692 KEEPING PACE It would be ridiculous to suggest that Utah's academic libraries require more than a small fraction of this publication output. When we consider, however, the recent knowledge expansion related to such areas as the physical sciences, sociology, and education, there is little doubt that we must make an effort to maintain and increase available library resources. ECONOMIC PRESSURES Inflation has not only prevented necessary expansion in Utah's academic library collections, but has, in fact, decreased our book purchasing power to below the level that existed less than a dec-ade ago. The average cost of periodical publications has Jumped 166.7 percent in the past decade-from $6.64 to $17.71. Budgets covering such materials would have had to nearly triple in the past ten years just to maintain subscriptions existing in 1964. (LIBRARY JOURNAL, July, 1974) The following Illustration graphically portrays inflation's effect on an academic library's book purchasing power: INFLATION'S EFFECT ON THE BOOK-PURCHASING DOLLAR (Using a Budget of $250,000 for All Years) Source: Publisher's Weekly and Bowker Annual 1968, 1972, and 1974 INFORMATION RETRIEVAL The task of searching the literature in a particular field to deter-mine its current status can prove a time-consuming obstacle to academic productivity. Each UCLC member library faces the daily challenge of efficiently bringing its patrons-student or faculty, un-dergraduate or researcher-together with the specific information they require, PROFESSIONAL AWARENESS The academic librarian should be informed about the potential for improving services through the application of new technology and effective management practices. His library shares in this responsibility and should encourage continual professional growth through in-service training opportunities. Our Accomplishments POOLING RESOURCES UCLC has established a program through which students, faculty, and staff of any member institution may, in person, check out needed materials from any library in the system. Such items may then be returned through the patron's local campus library. Microfilm copies of the state's three largest library collections (Utah State University, University of Utah, and Brigham Young Uni-versity) are now available on each UCLC campus and serve as a basis for improved interlibrary loan services. Needed information not found In a library may be more rapidly located by use of the filmed catalogs, ordered by a WATS line phone or teletype, and promptly delivered by a public carrier or a campus-sponsored shuttle service. Interlibrary Services, 1973-74 Walk-in Circulation-4068 Successful Searches in Filmed Catalogs--1944 COOPERATIVE PURCHASING Several hundred thousand dollars have been saved by the efforts of UCLC member libraries not to duplicate purchasing of rarely used expensive research sets, collections, or individual publications available to scholars within the state. HOLDINGS OF ALL UCLC LIBRARIES Non-Print Materials-36,983 Serial Subscriptions-44,000 Maps-165,000 Documents-9 70,000 Microform Volumes-1,200,000 Bound Volumes-3,500,000 IMPROVING LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY Under UCLC guidance, DIALOG, a computer-based information retrieval system, has been introduced to the Utah academic commun-ity. With its extensive data base in Palo Alto, California, this ser-vice provides annotated bibliographies for publications and articles found on subjects dealing with the sciences, technology, and the social sciences. Access terminals are now located at Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and the University of Utah. A faculty member at one UCLC member institution reported that DIALOG had provided in 20 minutes material that had previously taken him six months to gather. UCLC is presently investigating cooperative cataloging networks, which offer opportunities for more efficient processing of materials and rapid location of needed materials on a regional, and even national, basis. DIALOG Searches, 1973-74 889 Tapping DIALOG'S Data Base IN-SERVICE TRAINING UCLC financially supports an interchange program through which library personnel may visit their counterparts at other institutions in order to share professional experiences and methods of operation. UCLC also encourages, and will financially support, conferences, workshops, training courses, and other programs which will bring further improvement to library services. Our Future The Council will continue to improve the quality of individual and Interllbrary services and collection resources by meeting the following objectives: A. Individual Library Services 1. Promote more effective systems and procedures. 2. Develop better management practices, 3. Provide for and encourage professional development of staff members. 4. Keep library staff members informed of developments in technological applications to library programs. B. Interlibrary Services 1. Encourage increased interlibrary use of Utah's total academic library resources. 2. Improve shuttle services and decrease the time lag between request and delivery of materials. C. Collection Resources 1. Continue the process of identifying areas of special subject interest in the collection development of various libraries. 2. Promote a program of continuous shared purchase assignments for the acquisition of expensive sets,collections, microform series, etc. 3. Encourage each library to make a stronger effort to let its users know about the unique materials and collection strengths of other libraries in the Council. LIMITS TO COOPERATION As productive as they have been, the cooperative efforts on the part of Utah's college and university libraries will not solve all of the problems they face in meeting the needs of their own students, and faculties. Each library has the responsibility of seeking sufficient funds to support the major academic programs on its campus.