Collections Advisory Committee

2024-2025 MEMBERSHIP

• Karen Leader (Arts and Letters)
• Douglas Cumming (Business)
• Cristobal Salinas (Education)
• Isaac Elishakoff (Engineering and Computer Science)
• Michael Kane (Engineering and Computer Science alternate)
• Justin Perry (Honors)
• Michelle Keba Knecht (Medicine)
• Suzie Kaye (Nursing)
• Jonathan Engle (Science)
• Anton Oleinik (Science alternate)
• LeaAnne DeRigne (Social Work and Criminal Justice)
• Donna Chamely-Wiik (Undergraduate Studies)
• Ben Cohen (Student Government)
• Cathy Rossmell (Harbor Branch Campus)
• Jessica Pettingill (Harbor Branch Campus alternate)
• Alice Miehl (Division of Research)
• Steve Gregg (Division of Research alternate)
• Broward Campus (TBD)

The University Libraries reinstated the Collections Advisory Committee (CAC) in Fall 2024 and initiated a three-year comprehensive collection review of all purchases and the physical items maintained throughout the FAU Libraries. This Committee will assist the University Libraries in developing a campus-wide collaborative process that seeks input from faculty, researchers, and students to guide our decisions. The Committee will support our goal of ensuring that our collections continue supporting student learning, teaching, and research while remaining within our annual collections budget allocation. This Committee will advise the Dean of University Libraries, who will also present these matters to the Provost and the Council of Deans to address the challenges of effectively managing the limited collections budget. 

This is critical work. The University Libraries’ collection allocation has remained at $3 million annually, unchanged since 2008, despite increased FTE and the compounded impact of 4-6% annual increases. Projections for renewing all collections for FY26 indicate a funding shortfall of approximately $225,000. This projection does not include the anticipated increases associated with the January 1, 2025, R1 status change. Working with associations, such as ASERL (Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and the Association of Research Libraries), we are projecting an additional 10% increase to the Libraries’ collections budget with our R1 status change since academic library costs are based on a Carnegie Classification and FTE billing formula. 

The process begins with a comprehensive review of all subscriptions and physical holdings over the next three years. This will be the first thorough collections review since 2010. Once all subscription reviews are completed, the print and physical collections will be assessed to determine whether materials should be relocated to the shared State University Systems high-density storage facility, relocated to another FAU Libraries location, or withdrawn. After this 3-year review, a continuous process for campus input and a cycle of collection reviews will be developed.
 

Meetings Held in 2024-2025

• October 25, 2024
  • Reviewed single title journals for cancellation
  • Savings: $3,356
• January 30, 2025
  • Reviewed databases for cancellation
  • Savings: $66,753
• February 26, 2025
  • Reviewed small journal packages for cancellation
  • Discussed downgrading 1 journal package; decreasing book purchasing
  • Savings: $136,312

Total Savings for 2024-2025: $206,421
 

Cancellations in 2024/2025

• AACN Advanced Critical Care (E-journal: Effective 1/1/2025, content available through CINAHL Ultimate database*)
• AACR Cancer Research (Journal Package)
• Bloomberg: Tax | Research (Database)
• ComDisDome (Database)
• Communication Abstracts (Database)
• Film & Television Literature Index (Database)
• IOPscience (Journal Package)
• Journal of Nursing Measurement (E-Journal: Effective 1/1/2025, content available through CINAHL Ultimate database*)
• Microbiology Society (Journal Package)
• National Council of Teachers of English (E-Journal: Effective 1/1/2025, content available through Education Source database*)
• Neonatal Network: The Journal of Neonatal Nursing (E-Journal: Available through CINAHL Ultimate database*)
• Nineteenth Century Literature (E-Journal: Effective 1/1/2025, articles may be requested through Interlibrary Loan)
• ProQuest Congressional (Database)
• Research and Theory for Nursing Practice (E-Journal: Effective 1/1/2025, content available through CINAHL Ultimate database*)
• RMA Annual Statement Studies (Print Serial: Effective 1/1/2025, content may be requested through Interlibrary Loan)
• Westlaw Campus Research (Database)

*Funded by Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) Library Services

Future Meetings for 2025-2026 (exact dates TBD)

• Fall 2025 (two meetings)
  • Review large journal packages
• Spring 2026 (two meetings)
  • Review annual access fees
  • Review library memberships
     

Collections Advisory Committee documents (Link coming soon for CAC members only. Login will be required.)