Elsevier Library Connect White Paper: University investment in the library: What’s the return?

White Paper • 2008
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About the Study

About the Study

Executive Summary

The Question Methodology and Findings Conclusions and Next Steps

Introduction

Project Goals Administrative Perspective

Research Review

Return on Investment Benchmarking Studies on Productivity Measuring the Value of Libraries

Methodology

Conceptual Framework The Model Data Sources and Definitions

Faculty Survey

Design and Response In Their Own Words

Conclusions and Next Steps

Findings Next Steps

References

References

Appendix: Survey

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4

About the Project Team

About the Project Team

Introduction

PROJECT GOALS

The primary goal was to create a quantifiable measure and a compelling position for the UIUC Library that would demonstrate economic value to the university administration. The objective was to be able to state that “For every dollar spent on the library, the university received x dollars in return.”

In addition, the study sought to confirm the benefits of using electronic resources and the resulting impact on productivity over a 10-year period by examining:

Budget shift from print to electronic resources
Changes in intellectual output in the form of publications
Changes in grant success rate
Relationship between these trends

The majority of federal funding for research is in the sciences, and journals are the primary form of literature in the sciences. During this past decade, the most widely subscribed scholarly journals have been converted to electronic form.

ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Discussions with university administrators underscored strategic goals that focus on maintaining and strengthening the university environment to attract, sustain, and retain faculty whose creative accomplishments are of value to society. Obtaining the resources to support education and research, strengthening interdisciplinary work, connecting with the community, and managing efficiently are interconnected goals in the strategic plan. To achieve these goals, administrators must address the types of investments that are needed and where emphasis should be placed.

The impact of research is a key factor in attracting high-quality faculty and students. One measure of its significance is the ability to obtain grants. This is part of the cycle of research: conducting research, writing articles, submitting proposals, obtaining grants.

Two important points emerged from these discussions that influenced this study:

The significance of “soft” factors such as prestige which is difficult to measure quantitatively
The desire for benchmarks based on publicly available data that allow comparisons with peer institutions

In addressing the importance of attracting highly respected faculty, one university administrator noted that: “Funding does not regenerate funding. But reputation does.”