College and Research Libraries


I 

I 

l 
Can Acade~nic Librarians Afford 

College & ReseaTCh Libraries? 

Some people now serving on COPES and the ALA Publishing Board 
are seriously considering the abolition of divisional newsletters and the 
consolidation of divisional journals. At the Budget Assembly meeting 
in Los Angeles the chairman of the ALA Publishing Board noted the 
present drain on ALA publishing funds to support divisional journals. 
Similar concerns have been expressed recently by the chairman of 
COPES and by the treasurer of ALA. 

It may not be appropriate for me as editor to plead the case of 
CRL, but I do believe the membership of ACRL should understand 
how its journals are financed. After all, members pay the bills. 

First, it must be reported that $5.00 from membership dues is not 
allocated to the support of the journal, even though this commitment 
is indicated on the dues payment form. I have heard all sorts of ex-
planations, rationales, and justifications for the present policy of de-
positing these monies in a general fund. If the journal did indeed re-
ceive a $5-allocation for each member of ACRL (approximately 12,-
000), the journal's financial picture would be extremely bright. 

The 1970-71 CRL approved budget anticipates an income of $7 4,-
525.00, derived from advertising, classified ads, subscriptions, reprint 
sales, and extra copy sales. Expenses are expected to exceed $79,-
000.00. Manufacturing costs and the cost of ALA's Central Production 
Unit's services are the main expenditure items. To insure a balanced 
budget, ·$12,547.00 has been allocated from the ALA publishing funds. 
But if CRL actually received its $5.00 per membership subscription, 
the red ink would be transformed into a shiny black, for the coffers 
of the journal would be swelled by over $60,000-enough for the jour-
nal to contribute to other important ACRL activities. In other words, 
CRL contributes more than $47,000 to the ALA program. 

Why then are we being told that our publications are a drain on 
ALA? Does the membership want to continue CRL or could we satisfy 
our publishing needs equally we~ if ALA did consolidate journals into 
one or possibly two interdivisional publications? Regardless of the 
solution, I be~ieve academic librarians must have an outlet to publish 
the findings of their research. 

Is it possible that ALA, due to present budget stringencies or at-
titudes toward publishing, will ignore the special needs of academic 

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86 I College & Research Libraries • March 1971 

librarians? Will it be necessary to turn to another organization for a 
solution, further eroding ACRL' s professional role within ALA? On 
the other hand, if we do not need a divisional journal, then in the in-
terest of economy we should support efforts to reduce operating costs. 

If you want to continue CRL and CRL News, now is the time to be 
heard. We need reader reactions before we can formulate our recom-
mendation. Please, send us your views. 

R. M. DouGHERTY