Library Budgets

The State Budget Crisis Affects the UC Libraries

The recently enacted 2003–04 California state budget cuts $410 million from University of California programs. All non-instructional programs are affected, including administration, libraries, research, student services, K–12 outreach, teacher professional development, Cooperative Extension, and many others. As a result of the state's budgetary crisis, since 2001–02, the UC system's net state-funded budget has fallen 13.6 percent ($455 million). Learn more about the UC budget.

Library collections and services are feeling the impact of the state's financial crisis.

• The total University budget for libraries (including state and non-state funds), which stood at $247 million in 2000–01, has remained about constant, increasing to only $249 million in 2002–03.
• Library materials budgets have actually declined since 2000–01, from $65 million to $62 million in 2002–03.
• Most UC libraries have been directed by their campus administrations to plan for permanent budget cuts ranging from 5 to 10 percent in both 2003–04 and 2004–05.
• Because libraries were forced to make significant cuts to their operating budgets during the early 1990s, there is little room to absorb additional budget cuts through further operating reductions. Most campuses indicate that the library materials budget cannot be protected in the current round of cuts.

• State budget actions affecting the UC libraries.
• The UC libraries' budget process.

These budget cuts come at a time when the cost of acquiring library materials continues to increase at a rate that outpaces inflation. In preparing its budget request for 2003–04, the University estimated that costs for serial subscriptions would increase by more than 8 percent, and that an increase of 4 percent would be required to maintain the buying power of the overall library materials budget.