HFL move FAQ: Why can’t we just stay as we are?

Rodin's le Penseur

http://www.flickr.com/photos/franja/2958672319/

Here’s another of the frequently asked questions we have received from readers about the proposed move.  More answers to FAQs are available on the HFL website.

Why can’t we just stay as we are?

We want to improve services, particularly in response to the stated requirements of our readers, but this  situation needs to be put into the broader context of the University finances.

The Bodleian Libraries find themselves at the end of a three-year budget reduction programme which saw 10% retrenchment in which the materials budget was protected from reductions in cash terms but the size of the staff was reduced by around 60 FTE.

Under the 1-2-3 charging model, the Humanities Libraries also have to satisfy the Humanities Division that resources are being spent cost effectively.

There is no slack in staffing which would otherwise enable us to improve provision (e.g. digitise Set Texts) and services (extended opening hours, individual support, online guides & database tutorials).

Furthermore, the continued erosion of the value of the library materials budget due to above regular inflationary increases will in the long term lead to permanent gaps in the collections, primarily in the purchase of research collections in the Bodleian Library and lending copies of newly published monographs in the HFL.

Finally, without the proposed move, the temporary funding for Sunday opening of the Radcliffe Camera and Gladstone Link will run out at the end of this academic year. Thereafter and without the expectation of additional sources of funds at the time of writing, there would be no prospect of offering Sunday opening hours in any of the Old Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, Gladstone Link and certainly not in the HFL.

If we move, we therefore have a financial lifeline for our services and collections.

Under the current proposal the savings will be reinvested in improved services, and, remarkably, increased acquisitions budget. Conversely, if we do not move, there will be a direct, and only negative, impact on the services and collections for several thousand students and academics in the near and long-term future.

Find out more about the proposal:

more FAQsrevised proposalproposal outlineconsultation calendar

Have your say

Fill in our online survey by 9am on Monday 27 February 2012 to share your views on the proposed move and you could win £10 of PCAS credits.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.