Finding the Right Balance: Campus Involvement in the Collections Allocation Process

Karen Schmidt, Illinois Wesleyan University
Lisa German, Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Many libraries have sought the best approach to allocating the collections budget. "History plus increment" is the standard for many libraries in the allocation of any new dollars to collections budgets. The Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is striving toward a more open and understandable allocation process that uses an allocation formula, professional judgement of its librarians, and input from campus faculty and administration.