Competing for a Slice of the Budget Cake: An Academic Library Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the different ways in which a library could obtain a larger slice of the budget cake. These include leveraging of library assets to enhance funding, relating funding to mission, the use of library statistics (both internal and external), lobbying, and a strong show of support from users. It notes that the absence of readily available sources of library data in South Africa is an impediment to using comparative statistics in arguing for more money, and suggests that the directors of libraries should pay attention to this. Observations are based in part on experience as well as from the literature.


Af. J. Lib. Arch. & Inf. Sc. (2003) 13, 175-186