Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is an organization of reference and information professionals who strive to make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials.
RUSA has announced its selections for the 2013 Outstanding Reference Sources. This list of titles identifies the most important reference publications for small and medium-sized public and academic libraries published in a given year.
Today’s Press Release from ALA announced that the 2011 Academic Library Trends and Statistics annual publication is now available. The three-volume publication highlights key data from 1,514 academic institutions regarding collections, available services, staffing trends, and overall expenditures. The press release reveals that library expenditures for e-books has increased dramatically from 2010 to 2011 — with baccalaureate colleges increasing their e-book spending by some 109%! Of course with e-book expenditures increasing, money has to come from somewhere, and the majority of institutions report a small decrease in serials spending.
Other interesting data… Salaries/wages have increased by just over .90% for most institutions. Additionally, in the next five years, 15.9% of academic libraries believe they will lose space, 20.4% expect to gain space, and 58.4% expect no change.
To learn more, check out the Press Release.
The ACRL publication Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report is a review of the quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies and best practices currently in place for demonstrating the value of academic libraries, developed for ACRL by Megan Oakleaf of the iSchool at Syracuse University. The primary objective of this comprehensive review is to provide academic librarians with a clearer understanding of what research about the performance of academic libraries already exists, where gaps in this research occur, and to identify the most promising best practices and measures correlated to performance. Find the following items at http://www.acrl.ala.org/value/
Please note that the deadline to register for the Minnesota Library Legislative Day is Feb. 17. Activities of this event are shown below. Contact me at papost@stcloudstate.edu for additional information.
Codes in parentheses below are AC=Augsburg College and JC=Judicial Center, Capitol
Tuesday, Feb 26 5:00-6:00 pm Registration and Reception, (AC)
Tuesday, Feb 26 6:00-7:00 pm Briefing, Marshall Room, (AC)
Wednesday, Feb 27 7:30-8:30 am Register &Breakfast,(JC)Wednesday, Feb 27 8:30-9:30 am Briefing, Room 230,(JC)
Wednesday, Feb 27 9:30-12:00 Visit with your representatives
Wednesday, Feb 27 12:00-1:00 pm Lunch and Debriefing, (JC)
More information will be posted on the MLA website soon.