Primary Research Group has published The Survey of Academic Librarians: Opinion of Library Budget Priorities, ISBN 1-57440-152-1.

This study presents the results of a survey of academic librarians about how they view their library budgets, how influential they believe themselves to be in its determination, and in which areas they support increased spending.

Data is presented in the aggregate and broken out by various characteristics such as gender, age, library work title or field, institutional enrollment, Carnegie class, level of education, USA or Canada and other factors.  The ground rules on questions relating to spending increases stipulated that any increase in one area of the library budget implied a corresponding decrease in another area of the library budget.

Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:

†      Half of all librarians sampled felt they had at least some influence over the library budget.

†      About 10% of librarians wanted to increase spending on special collections.

†      17.55% believed that their library’s budget priorities badly needed an overhaul.

†      41-47% of librarians with multiple master’s degrees of doctorates were in favor of increased spending on databases, while 73.68% of librarians with a BA or MA were opposed.

†      27.71% of librarians supported more spending on staff training, 72.29% were opposed.

The 100-page report has approximately 215 tables of data as well as explanatory commentary.   For further information view our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com or call us at 212-736-2316.