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| About us > Reorganization and Budget FAQ Planning For the Future of the MIT LibrariesBy Ann Wolpert, Director of Libraries In the summer of 2008, the MIT Libraries initiated a strategic planning process to consider how best to provide library services for the future at MIT. It was clear that forces of change, internal and external to MIT, needed to be addressed. We had observed that growth in the use of networked resources was outpacing growth in door counts and physical circulation at the same time as research and learning at MIT were becoming increasingly mobile and less location dependent. The MIT Libraries had to be prepared to respond to MIT’s rising emphasis on interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international collaborations in both education and research, and we needed to strike the right balance between the resources we were dedicating to our important physical collections, and the resources we deployed to support the digital library environment. The document MIT Libraries: Achieving a Desired Future State for 20151 summarizes the findings of that effort, and points to progress as well as gaps. It is gratifying that students and faculty have become such avid users of our network-based resources and services, and we are committed to making sure the MIT Libraries can support this growing demand. But it was also obvious that the dominant organizing principle for the MIT Libraries, once defined by physical libraries with disciplinary-focused print collections, was increasingly misaligned with usage data trends. These trends were pointing us in the direction of an organizing principle that would be defined more by Libraries-wide services and online systems than by traditionally structured, stand-alone libraries. As our planning process progressed during calendar year 2009, our thinking was also informed by the extensive surveys of faculty, students, and research staff which we had conducted in 2005 and 2008. Feedback from these surveys, when combined with actual usage data collected by the libraries, serves to guide decisions concerning the organization and operations of the Libraries going forward. The granularity of the survey data is sufficient to provide a vivid appreciation for the disciplinary differences in patterns of library use, and these differences will be taken into account as planning advances. Also central to the Libraries deliberations are the needs to 1) attract and retain the highest quality Libraries staff, 2) continue support for the most heavily used physical facilities and collections, and 3) sustain the digital information resources and systems on which so many faculty and students depend. Both digital and physical library services have their passionate advocates among the faculty - sometimes within the same department - and the Libraries are well aware of the importance faculty in all disciplines place on a robust, easy to use, and reliable set of networked library resources and services. Members of the Faculty Committee on the Library System have generously contributed their thoughts and insights to the process as well. The need to accommodate FY2011 budget reductions has now accelerated our planning. Many university research libraries in the United States are also coming to grips with reduced funding levels. The MIT Libraries will face special challenges, however, given their relatively modest size, the exceptionally high prices of many science and engineering journals and databases, and the physical constraints of our library facilities. We are very fortunate that the strategic planning work begun back in calendar year 2008 is now available to inform our approach to budget reductions, and that there is a standing committee of the Faculty dedicated to Libraries issues. In the coming months we anticipate taking multiple steps to respond to our reduced budget in the context of our future directions. Actions will most likely include some combination of 1) a reorganization of staff operations, 2) a new approach to collections acquisition and management, and 3) reconsidered hours of operation. As planning progresses the Faculty Committee on the Library System will remain actively involved, as is their mission and role. A chief goal in planning for FY2011 will be to implement the necessary organizational changes in a manner that respects the relationship between faculty and the librarians who understand and support their disciplines. Conceptually, the Libraries will be working toward a library system that is based on the following principles:
The Faculty Committee on the Library System, consistent with their charge, will monitor the process by which the Libraries make these challenging decisions in the year ahead, and the Libraries will, as always, communicate with faculty and the MIT community as decisions are made. In the meanwhile, faculty are urged to send comments and questions to Ann Wolpert, Director of Libraries, awolpert@mit.edu. Re-organization FAQ for the MIT Community
Q: Why are the Libraries re-organizing? Why now?A: The Libraries at MIT have been in continuous evolution since the earliest days of the Institute. Individual libraries have opened, closed, and merged in response to dynamic changes in MIT's research and educational priorities. This most recent reorganization reflects the need to once again align the Libraries to effectively serve the research, learning, and teaching requirements of MIT faculty and students in the 21st century. In 2008, the MIT Libraries initiated a strategic planning process to consider how best to provide library services for the future at MIT. Growth in the use of networked resources was rapidly outpacing growth in door counts and physical circulation at the same time that research and learning at MIT were becoming increasingly mobile, more interdisciplinary, and less location dependent. Survey data confirmed that the dominant organizing principle for the MIT Libraries, once defined by physical libraries with disciplinary-focused print collections, was increasingly misaligned with usage data trends. These trends were pointing us in the direction of an organizing principle that would be defined more by Libraries-wide services and online systems than by traditionally structured, stand-alone libraries. The need to accommodate FY2011 budget reductions has now accelerated our planning. Q: How is reorganization related to budget reductions?A: While the Libraries strategic planning work was well under way in 2008, MIT's FY2010 and FY2011 budget reductions have now accelerated our planning. The Libraries must reduce the FY2011 budget by $2M, which represents a cut of just over 9%. The FY2010 cut totaled 6%, or $1.4M ($1.0M of which was imposed by the Institute, plus an additional $0.4M reduced by the Libraries from their remaining budget in order to cover publisher price increases). Taken together, these cuts represent a total of $3.4M or 15%. Q: How do the Libraries make budget decisions?A: Budget deliberations are influenced by the need to
The Faculty Committee on the Library System, which is a standing committee of the faculty, is charged with reviewing budget allocations as prepared by the Director of Libraries. Members of this Committee have contributed their insights to the process to date, and will continue to monitor the budget decision process going forward. Q: What steps are the Libraries taking to reduce the budget in FY2011?A: The Libraries' options for reductions are essentially limited to the two largest portions of the library budget: labor (52%) and information resources (40%). Operations, which makes up the remaining 8%, was reduced substantially last year and presents few options which would not seriously impede many basic functions critical to all ongoing services and operations. The Libraries need to reduce their labor expenses by $1.0M in FY2011. Approximately $400K in savings will come from layoffs, reductions in effort, non-renewal of term positions, and the elimination of temporarily vacant positions across the library system. Another $200K in savings will result from reduced hours of service. The remainder will be achieved by staff furloughs, which will close all the libraries for a total of 10 working days. Furloughs are an experiment that will enable the Libraries to avoid additional layoffs and service cuts, including the disruptive closure of one or more major libraries. Q: Are reductions like this unusual for academic libraries?A: University research libraries across the United States are coming to grips with reduced funding levels. The MIT Libraries face special challenges, given their relatively modest size, the exceptionally high prices of many science and engineering journals and databases, and the physical constraints of our library facilities. Many public research university libraries used furloughs to manage costs during FY2010. Research libraries in the University of California system (among them UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD) have all furloughed staff, as have libraries in the California State system. Flagship university research libraries in Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Utah, Connecticut, and Wisconsin have also experienced furloughs in the current fiscal year. Information about FY2011 is not yet available. Q: What will be the most noticeable changes and when will they begin?A: Most library users will not notice immediate changes from the reorganization, because the changes will be internal to library operations. Users will still be able to access popular networked resources and databases as they always have, request and check out materials in the same way, and use library spaces for individual and group study. However due to budget reductions, hours of service will be reduced, and there will be reductions in some information resources including journals, databases and other library materials. Q: When will service hours be reduced?A: The new schedules for Summer 2010, Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, and IAP 2011 are now available. Service hours will also be affected for 10 working days during two staff furlough periods. During the two furloughs, 5 days over the Independence Day holiday, and 5 days over the Christmas holiday, all library locations will be closed with the exception of the Libraries' two 24-hour study facilities, which will remain open during both furloughs. Q: How were the furlough dates and reductions in service hours determined? What data informed the specific reductions?A: Daily door counts are captured automatically in each library, and the days selected for closure were those with the lowest door counts. Reductions in hours on specific days were selected based on multiple criteria including:
The days around the Fourth of July and at year-end experience some of the lowest door counts throughout the year in the Libraries. In addition, there is a modest benefit to the staff of the Libraries in that they will be able to spend time with family and friends during two popular holiday periods, in recognition of the fact they will be taking a 4% cut in pay. Q: What, if any, services and facilities will be available during furlough periods?A: The Libraries will provide systems support to assure the availability of Vera, Barton, and other essential networked services. However many specialists who normally handle problem resolution associated with externally licensed databases, and/or who resolve security or contract violations will be furloughed. Isolated, individual resources may thus be temporarily unavailable during furlough periods. The Libraries' two secure 24-hour study facilities with wireless connectivity will be open continuously during both furlough periods. We will work with IS&T and relevant student services groups to insure that adequate study facilities with network connectivity are open and available to students who may remain on campus. Q: How will the Libraries’ reorganization and budget reductions impact members of the faculty? Students?A: The goal of the reorganization is to improve our ability to provide the services and collections needed by faculty and students, guided by our strategic planning process. However, short-term budget reductions will independently impact certain aspects of the Libraries operations. An important element of the Libraries' service model that will remain constant is the role of liaisons to schools and departments - this does not change in the new organizational structure. Q: Will any library locations be closed?A: We do not expect any library locations to be closed due to the reorganization. When funds become available to make the necessary space changes, Rotch Visual Collections will be integrated into the Rotch Library. However, this is a change that we've been exploring with support from the School of Architecture and Planning for several years, and is not directly related to the current reorganization. Q: Will there still be libraries for the disciplines of architecture, engineering, humanities, science, music, and management and social science?A: Yes, the current libraries will still exist and their names will not change. Q: Will the content in the current subject-based libraries stay in those physical spaces? And who will advocate for school/ department-based content?A: At this time we anticipate no significant changes in the way that subject collections are housed in our physical spaces. Of course our on-campus space is severely limited, so we will be assessing and planning the best way to house our collections going forward to maximize the productivity of faculty and students. Currently librarian subject experts advocate for content to support specific departments and schools. This will not change. Q: Will I get help in the same place I've always gotten help? Will I be able to maintain a connection to "my librarian"?A: Help will be available in the usual ways - by asking at service desks, by emailing or phoning your subject librarian, by using the Ask Us! Service. Q: How will library staffing be affected by the reorganization?A: Library staff will be organized more along functional and cross-unit lines than within a traditional, stand-alone library hierarchy. Key affiliations with MIT schools and departments will be strengthened. Additional capacity will be directed toward designing and maintaining the online information resources and services on which the MIT community now relies so heavily. Q: Will this change the way I access content (from on or off-campus)?A: No. Q: How will the Libraries print collections change? Will collections be affected?A: The Libraries' collections have been changing for the past decade, with a major shift to electronic journals and databases, digital images, online music, etc. While the shift to e-books has been slower, we know from our survey work and interactions with community members that there is a keen desire for more content of all types online, available 24/7. We continue to monitor the scholarly information market to use our resources in a manner that best benefits current and future MIT community members. Q: What new services will be added?A: The Libraries have a tradition of innovation and building new services to meet the emerging needs of researchers and students. Our intent is to streamline operations where we can in order to retain capacity for new service development. It is possible, though, that development of new services may be slowed by the impact of budget reductions on collections and staffing levels. Q: Doesn’t it cost money to move operations and services around?A: Yes. That is why we are carefully deliberating and planning for essential moves that will position us to work more effectively and efficiently. Q: How does this reorganization benefit me (the student/ faculty member, etc.)?A: By streamlining the Libraries' traditional organization, resources can be redirected or otherwise made available to maintain and grow the Libraries heavily-used online resources and platforms, on which MIT faculty and students increasingly rely. Q: Will the Libraries collections budget be reduced?A: Yes. This is not because of the reorganization, but due to the fact that the MIT has had to reduce the General Institute Budget and the Libraries must absorb their share of this budget reduction. Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome, and can be sent to: budgetfeedback-lib@mit.edu
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