The Library Resource Allocation (LRA) is allocated in five funding pools. The allocation process was developed to give the Library capacity to meet the information needs of its staff and students in the electronic information environment.
Cross Faculty Electronic Database Pool
There are two parts to this Pool. The larger part is the Cross Faculty Electronic Databases fund code. As agreed by the Vice Chancellor's Advisory Committee on 1/3/01, all the fulltext electronic journal databases (except Law) are paid for from this Pool since they are multidisciplinary databases and also span coursework to research journals.
The smaller part is the Electronic Databases Trial Pool which has been established to allow the Library staff in consultation with a committee of Executive Dean’s nominees to select and trial new electronic database information services as they enter the market. These funds provide some flexibility to try out new databases, and evaluate rival products. Once a product is trialed and accepted, it must then be paid for from the most appropriate pool. Cancellations of print serials or other electronic databases must usually be made to accommodate these new products.
Coursework High Use Pool
Coursework High Use Pool meets the needs of coursework students for information resources. This pool is in 2 parts:
- electronic and print serials assigned on a faculty basis, and
- monograph funds which are divided amongst faculties on a formula based on EFTSU, average book price and a library reliance factor. The Library reliance factor relies on loan statistics for books per faculty.
Each year, about 20% of the monographs portion is kept back from the faculty allocation and is spent on library resources for new and changed courses and improving identified weak parts of the collection supporting teaching. Both academics and liaison librarians order books and suggest new serials for this Pool.
Specialist Resources Pool
Specialist Resources Pool meets the needs of researchers for access to a wide range of often specialised information resources, many of which will be fast document delivery services rather than print collections. The Pool is allocated on a faculty basis by formula with factors including PG research EFTSU, academic staff EFT, average cost of books and journals by faculty, research funding (external), weighted research publication output.
The Associate Director Library Services contacts the Executive Deans around March with advice on the Faculty’s serial commitments from this allocation, the Faculty’s previous year’s document delivery expenditure, and requesting they divide the faculty’s allocation into allocations for document delivery, monographs, and serials. If the funds are insufficient to cover print serial subscriptions, cancellations may be required. The Liaison librarians assist the faculties by drawing up lists and advising them on the titles which could be cancelled, as part of a consultative process.
Central Reference Pool
Central Reference Pool meets the needs of students and staff to search by subject, author etc over the range of published information using indexes, abstracts and reference materials. This is largely used for subscriptions to electronic reference sources, and is managed by the Library staff.
Shared Costs Pool
Shared Costs Pool provides funds to meet the costs of freight, handling and bibliographic records. These funds are administered by the Library staff.
Key players in managing the LRA
Faculty
- The Executive Dean
- Faculty Library Committee
- Heads of Schools
- Assistant Dean Research
- individual academics
Library
- Associate Director (Information Resources)
- Branch Library Managers
- individual Liaason Librarians