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Library Collection Budget Assessment

Details on Arthur Lakes Library collection budget.

The Rising Cost of Subscription Resources

Each year, Arthur Lakes Library negotiates with publishers and vendors to provide access to the databases and journals that advance Colorado School of Mines world-changing research and transformative instruction. Unfortunately, the cost of these resources rises by 4-8% annually, far outpacing the rate of inflation and the realistic constraints of university budgets. When we negotiate with publishers, we seek contracts that are affordable, sustainable, and transparent, but sometimes publishers insist on significant increases that far exceed available funding. Mines is not alone in challenging these unsustainable increases- academic libraries of all sizes across the nation face the same reality.

Supporting Programs & Resources @ Mines

It is a goal of the Arthur Lakes Library to provide the necessary resources to students, faculty, and staff to support education and research. While not all resources may be available due to cost and/or licensing we'll try to get the resources our community needs. 

How does the library’s materials budget compare to that of other institutions?

Answer: Below is a comparison of peer institutions for 2020 enrollment and library materials budget. Data from IPEDS.

Institution Name Fall 2020
Total Enrollment
Total Materials
Budget for FY20
Per Student Carnegie
Classification
 
as of 2023
 
California Institute of Technology 2,240 $3,644,133 $1,626.85 R1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 11,254 $11,505,656 $1,022.36 R1
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 1,686 $1,371,555 $813.50 M3
Michigan Technological University 6,873 $3,145,757 $457.70 R2
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 6,920 $2,833,805 $409.51 R2
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 7,501 $2,360,483 $314.69 R1
Colorado School of Mines 6,744 $2,065,319 $306.25 R1
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus 39,771 $9,449,137 $237.59 R1
Missouri University of Science and Technology 8,088 $1,659,315 $205.16 R2
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 2,525 $513,722 $203.45 M2
New Jersey Institute of Technology 11,518 $1,677,075 $145.60 R1

Do you have any other general data on historical materials infaltion?

Answer: Yes. Library materials inflation is a broadly recognized challenge in academia. See full chart

Five Year Journal Price Increase History (2017-2021) Chart