Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 5. March 30 1981
Funds Don't Reflect Need
Funds Don't Reflect Need
The library's importance is not always acknowledged by those who decide on its funding, and in the past it has suffered cutbacks in its budget and staff allocation. Victoria Council still gives a smaller proportion of its budget to the library, than any other university in New Zealand, according to student numbers. This year is generally seen as being a little brighter, although it is doubtful that prospects for the future are as brilliant. Mr Sage, the head librarian, has given figures that the University Council grant for 1981 is $760,000, for the purchase of books and journals, and general library expenses. Accounting for NZ's inflation and the devaluation of the NZ dollar against foreign currency, this year's grant constitutes a modest 26.6% increase on the 1980 grant. In addition, a reserve fund of $150,000 has been made available, but as it is not known whether this type of grant will be repeated, it may only serve as a cushion for funding deficiencies in the remaining four years of the university's quinquennial grant. Another $30,000 is set aside to be used specifically for filling gaps in the present collection which have been created by a lack of finance over the past few years. Finally, a supplementary allowance to account for inflation carried in 1980 will be made. It is not certain at this stage how generous the supplement will be, but it won't be in excess of 60% of the costs created by inflation.
These figures all mean that at least there will be no cutbacks in services offered this year and that a reasonable growth in library stock can be expected. Mr Sage believes that the standard minimum of 18,000 new volumes each year for a healthy library growth should be comfortably exceeded. A lamentable feature of the budget is that 30% consists of non-recurring money, that is money which was unspent in various areas of the university in 1980, and allocated elsewhere in 1981. This 30% cannot be guaranteed to be found in subsequent years' library budgets.