Adapting to Scarcity: Developing an Integrated Allocation Formula

Rising costs for library materials and shrinking budgets make it more necessary than ever for academic libraries to target their scarce resources to meet the specific needs of academic programs. The authors surveyed other institutions to determine current practices in the allocation of library materials funds in different formats. The results of our survey were inconclusive, which led us to combine monographs and continuations in a single allocation formula. By crafting an allocation formula for both monographs and continuations in print and electronic format, the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University hopes to satisfy the growing demand for information services.