LSU Middleton library struggles with funding - Sheridan Wall, Daily Reveille

Middleton’s overall budget is usually around $12 million, Wilder said. Over half the budget is dedicated to collections, most of which goes to serial and academic journal subscriptions. About 35 percent of the budget is allocated to salary and benefit payments for faculty and staff, including student assistants. The remaining 15 percent of the budget is for everything else including supplies, interlibrary loan and travel for faculty. “Honestly, we’re incredibly strapped,” Wilder said. Wilder said the cost of journals is exponentially high and has been that way for the last 20 years. The library has to continue to purchase subscriptions to serials and journals to have Ph.D programs, particularly in the science and engineering fields. Wilder said the cost of scientific journals rises at a faster rate than the consumer price index. http://www.lsunow.com/daily/middleton-library-struggles-with-funding/article_a5a0e396-2c88-11e8-a061-03f3dbe15503.html