U of M library on probation
McWherter funding falls short of ASERL standards
By: Dustin Azlin
Issue date: 3/2/10 Section: News
The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries placed The University of Memphis' Ned R. McWherter Library on probation again due to a significant lack of funding.
The ASERL is an association of libraries across the Southeast that banded together to pool their resources. According to its website, the group is the largest regional research library consortium in the United States.
Sylverna Ford, dean of University libraries, said that ASERL reviews data from all member libraries and decides on an expenditure threshold that the libraries must meet. This is the amount of money that must be spent on the library in the given year, such as personnel or book purchases. If a library falls below this amount, it is placed on probation and given four years to resolve the issue.
Although the threshold for ASERL libraries in 2008 was $9,009,036, The U of M library's expenditures totaled only $8,619,072.
Ralph Faudree, provost at The U of M, said The University doesn't have the funds to meet the funding requirement because of the economic recession.
"We would like to have more resources for the library - as well as all parts of The University - but that does not mean it is underfunded," he said in an e-mail.
Faudree said money was given to the library to ease budget constraints when the stimulus bill passed, pulling in $625,000 for the library in the last year alone.
Ford said this money could possibly remove the library from probation in the coming year.
"We expect to get a similar allocation in the coming fiscal year, so I'm hopeful that will take us back where we need to be so that we will be off probation again," she said. "The president and the provost are really aware of the issue and are trying to do things as well to address the problem."
The library's budget is decided by deans of the colleges and the dean of the library. Faudree said the administration understands the significance of the library as a research facility.
The ASERL is an association of libraries across the Southeast that banded together to pool their resources. According to its website, the group is the largest regional research library consortium in the United States.
Sylverna Ford, dean of University libraries, said that ASERL reviews data from all member libraries and decides on an expenditure threshold that the libraries must meet. This is the amount of money that must be spent on the library in the given year, such as personnel or book purchases. If a library falls below this amount, it is placed on probation and given four years to resolve the issue.
Although the threshold for ASERL libraries in 2008 was $9,009,036, The U of M library's expenditures totaled only $8,619,072.
Ralph Faudree, provost at The U of M, said The University doesn't have the funds to meet the funding requirement because of the economic recession.
"We would like to have more resources for the library - as well as all parts of The University - but that does not mean it is underfunded," he said in an e-mail.
Faudree said money was given to the library to ease budget constraints when the stimulus bill passed, pulling in $625,000 for the library in the last year alone.
Ford said this money could possibly remove the library from probation in the coming year.
"We expect to get a similar allocation in the coming fiscal year, so I'm hopeful that will take us back where we need to be so that we will be off probation again," she said. "The president and the provost are really aware of the issue and are trying to do things as well to address the problem."
The library's budget is decided by deans of the colleges and the dean of the library. Faudree said the administration understands the significance of the library as a research facility.