Page 112 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Unit 6: Library Finance

6.2.1 Academic Libraries Notes

Academic libraries involve the following libraries:
(a) University libraries: University libraries receive their funds, in varying degrees from two
sources. They get financial support from the universities out of their own Ends and as
special grants from both the University Grants Commission and the state governments.
The UGC grants are mainly plan grants, whereas the state government grants are mainly
non-plan grants. However, government grants are not given to the libraries directly.
Usually the government gives grants to the university and then the university allots to the
library the necessary share out of the same. Grants from the University Grants Commission
are mainly of three types – recurring, non-recurring, and ad hoc.
Few university libraries charge a fee from their student members for the use of the library.
A charge or fee for library use is not made without protest from users. These days there is
a growing feeling that the university should provide library services free of charge, just as
it provides lecture rooms, laboratories, and other facilities free.
(b) College libraries: A question often asked is “How much does it cost each year to run a good
library?” The amount will vary from college to college, depending on the nature of the
curriculum, the quantity and quality of service expected, and the quality of the present
collection. The total student strength in a college is another criterion to be taken into
consideration while allotting funds for the library. The problems of financing the library
of an established institution are very different from those of a new college. The needs of
the former are confined to acquiring materials to remedy weaknesses and to keep the
collection up-to-date; the latter must provide for a complete basic collection.

There are three main sources of funds for college libraries. The principal source is the
allocation from the current operating funds of the college. Whether the college is public
(government) or privately controlled matters less in this connection than the amount of
additional money the library may need during any one budgetary year. Sometimes a part
of the Amalgamated Fund Collection is given to the college library for the purchase of
reading materials. Occasionally some portion of the contingency grant of the college is
made available to the library by the principal. A second source of income for college
libraries is grants, individual gifts, and endowments. But this is not very popular in India.
A large number of college libraries throughout our country receive grants from the
University Grants Commission. Other sources of income for college libraries are
subscription/membership fee charged from the students, and annual recurring and
non-recurring grants from the state government concerned or the governing body of the
institution.
(c) School libraries: Promoting a good library service in schools depends very much on
finance. In the case of middle schools, lower fee rates for library services can be fixed as
there will be less expensive books needed for students of lower classes. At present there
are no fixed norms for the provision of finances to school libraries in India.
The library fund of a school should preferably comprise a fee collected from pupils, and
equal contribution from the management, a matching contribution from the government
or local body, other gift or special grants that may at any time be received specifically for
the library and donations from the public.
The library fee collected from students should be spent exclusively on books and equipment.
The state government or any education authority administering the school should meet
the initial expenditure on be setting up of the school library including cost of new library

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