Comparing Library Resource Allocations for the Paper and the Digital Library: An Exploratory Study

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Comparing Library Resource Allocations for the
Paper and the Digital Library An Exploratory
Study

• Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D.
• Research Scientist
• Office of Research

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Research Questions

• What does it cost to own a book?
• What are the relative costs of various media?

Life Cycle Costs of Library Collections
Creation of Effective Performance and Cost
Metrics for Library Resources, with Stephen R.
Lawrence and Keith Brigham. College Research
Libraries, 626 (November 2001) 541-553.
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Methodology

• Utility vs. Precision
• Use standard ARL survey data
• Includes costing data
• Use available industry data
• Building infrastructure costs
• Develop cost allocation scheme
• Easily accessible and understood

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Library Interactive Costing Allocation Method

• Uses current ARL data
• Makes a number of simple assumptions
• Automatically allocates costs to collections
• Easy to change assumptions, view impact

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Library Interactive Costing Allocation Method

• Based on book equivalents
• BE amount of space needed relative to books
• Assumption costs directly related to space
  required
• Facilities and infrastructure
• Personnel
• Handling
• Attention

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Media Physical Life Expectancies
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Life-Cycle Cost Estimates
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Relative Cost of Collections
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Implications of Study

• Books drive library costs
• Maintenance far more costly than acquisition
• Control library costs
• Reduce lifecycle costs of books
• eBooks may be one way to reduce lifecycle costs

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Project Phase 1

• Exploratory study of resource requirements for
  paper library and digital library
• Selected eleven ARL librarians
• Ten academic librarians and one public librarian
• One Catalog Librarian
• One Acquisitions Librarian
• Two Technical Services Librarians
• Two Collection Development Librarians
• Two Access Services Librarians (One public and
  one academic librarian)
• Two Reference Librarians
• One Electronic Resources Librarian

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Project Phase 1

• Exploratory study of resource requirements
  all-paper library and all-digital library
• Calculate
• Based on library of today and
• Library of the future (provides 80 of content
  digitally)
• Labor
• Space allocation for computer workstations
• Materials
• Equipment
• Compare of all-paper library and all-digital
  library
• Survey instrument available at
• http//Leeds.colorado.edu/faculty/Lawrence/eBook

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Assumptions

• Labor
• Fewer labor resources will be needed for the
  all-digital library
• Maintenance and handling
• Space
• Fewer space resources will be needed for the
  all-digital library
• No costs for shelving eResources

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Assumptions

• Materials
• Fewer material resources will be needed for the
  all-digital library
• Costs may increase for initial purchases
• Lower operating costs once purchased
• Equipment
• Equipment resources will be approximately the
  same in both the all-paper and all-digital
  libraries

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Library Functions

• Selection
• Acquisition
• Cataloging
• Maintenance
• Circulation
• Warehousing/Storage
• Deselection

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Paper Library Resource Allocation
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Paper Library Resource Allocation
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Paper Library Resource Allocation
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Paper Library Resource Allocation
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Paper vs. Digital LibraryResource Allocation
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Paper vs. Digital LibraryResource Allocation
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Paper vs. Digital LibraryResource Allocation
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Paper vs. Digital LibraryResource Allocation
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Paper vs. Digital LibrariesSummary Resource
Consumption
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Group Discussion Results

• LABOR and SPACE estimated to require less
  resources in an all-digital library than in an
  all-paper library
• Labor
• Estimate range 39-81
• Mean 59
• Median 56
• Space
• Estimate range 6.5-65
• Mean 29
• Median 26

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Group Discussion Results

• MATERIAL estimated to require less resources for
  all-digital library than for all-paper library
• Estimate range 0.2-78.2
• Mean 34
• Median 33.7
• EQUIPMENT estimated to require the same amount
  for all-digital library as for all-paper library
• Estimate range 26-119
• Large range 93
• Suggests significant uncertainty
• Mean 70
• Median 66

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Project Phase 2

• Continuation of exploratory study
• ALA Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA, June 2002
• Twenty-three surveys distributed at eBook session
• Nineteen academic librarians
• One public librarian
• One government librarian
• Two did not identify library type

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Project Phase 2

• Demographics
• Six library administrators
• Three cataloger librarians
• Three reference librarians
• Three automation/systems librarians
• One access services librarian
• One preservation librarian
• One collection development librarian
• One program coordinator
• Four did not identify position

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Project Phase 2

• Same calculations as Phase 1 study
• Two exceptions
• Based on feedback from Phase 1 study group
• Instructed to estimate the allocations for staff
  based on
• Knowledge and skill level required to perform
  duties in all-digital library
• Time allocations believed necessary for
• Rights management
• Licensing
• Marketing
• Training in all-digital library

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Results of Phase 2
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Comparison of Results

• All resource allocations were estimated higher by
  participants in Phase 2 than in Phase 1
• Phase 2 participants estimated resource
  allocations not estimated by Phase 1
  participants
• Knowledge and skill level required to perform
  duties in the all-digital library
• Time allocations believed necessary for rights
  management, licensing, marketing, and training in
  all-digital library

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Comparison of Results

• All resource allocations were estimated higher by
  participants in Phase 2 than in Phase 1
• Phase 1 participants
• All ARL librarians
• Spent 1.5 days discussing and working on the
  calculations
• Phase 2 participants
• No known ARL librarians
• Attended a 40-minute presentation, with 15
  minutes to estimate resource allocations

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Conclusions

• Provide baseline to continue to monitor resource
  allocations for digital libraries CANNOT
  generalize findings
• Need to examine costs associated with providing
  library resources and services
• Lack of data available to compare costs of
  library resources and services
• ARL librarians estimated and agreed that labor,
  space, and material resource allocations will be
  less in an all-digital library than an all-paper
  library
• ARL librarians estimates suggest uncertainty in
  the equipment allocations for the all-digital
  library
• Resource allocations estimated higher by the
  participants in Phase 2 than in Phase 1
• Concern for simultaneously managing costs of both
  the paper and digital libraries

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Suggested Future Research

• Revise the interactive spreadsheet to include
• Staffing resources based on knowledge and skill
  level
• Time devoted to rights management and licensing
  agreements
• Marketing of digital library offering
• Instruction
• Staff
• Library users
• Continue to collect data

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Discussion