Library economics in Europe

Directorate-General For The Information Society And Media European Commission

Description

An update 1981-90
Information technology and telecommunications

Informations

• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INFORMATION-SOCIETY-AND-MEDIA-EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 23
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 31 Mo

Extrait

ISSN 1018-5593
European Commission
Library economics in Europe
An update — 1981 -90
% t
%,
Report
EUR 15903 EN European Commission
"\
Library economics in Europe
An update —1981-90
Phillip Ramsdale
Institute of Public Finance Ltd
for the European Commission
Directorate-General
MgJa^OP. Bfbfck Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of
1995 N.CEUR 15903 EN
CI Published by the
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General XIII
Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research
L-2920 Luxembourg
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of
the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the
following information
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995
ISBN 92-826-9197-7
© ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels • Luxembourg, 1995
Printed in Spain TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Framework for the study
1.3 Comparisons generated
1.4 The overall findings in their econometric context
1.5e findings in more detail: Financial Overview 5
1.6 Activity Overview 7
1.7 European Free Trade Agreement States
1.8 Statistical Review 9
1.9 Study Recommendations
CHAPTER 2: STUDY OBJECTIVES
2.1 Study Remit 13
2.2y Objectives
2.3 Study Definitions4
2.4 Data Sources
2.5 Reliability of Results5
CHAPTER 3: CRITIQUE OF THE ORIGINAL REPORT
3.1 Aims and objectives of the previous report 17
3.2 Summary of the original results
3.3 Updated results for the years 1981-19858
3.4 Methodology used in the original study 20
3.5 Economic and Social Changes
which have occurred since the previous study
3.6 Developments in the library world which have
occurred since 1986 21
3.7 Maturity of library definitions
3.8 Mobile and Static Service Points2
3.9 Library Staff
3.10 Trained Librarians3
3.11 Total Expenditure4
3.12 Expenditure relating to the Acquisition of Stock 2
3.13eg to Information Technology5
3.14 Sources of Income
CHAPTER 4: FINANCIAL RESULTS
4.1 Overall Library Expenditure 27
4.2 Staffing Expenditure8
4.3 Expenditure on the acquisition of stock9
4.4 Income for Library Services 30
4.5 Remaining Expenditure Items1 CHAPTER 5: ACTIVITY DATA
5.1 The Provision of Library Services 33
5.2 Book Stocks4
5.3 Current Periodicals5
5.4 Audio Visual Material
5.5 StafFNumbers 36
5.6 Library Users7
CHAPTER 6: EUROPEAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT STATES
6.1 The context of EFT A countries within this study 39
6.2 Summary of financial results
6.3 Activity Data 41
CHAPTER 7: THE WAY FORWARD
7.1 The need for standardisation5
7.2 Any other data which would be of assistance 46
7.3 Maintaining the momentum initiated by these studies
7.4 Study proposals 47
APPENDICES
1. Study specification9
2. Methodology used in this study 5
2.2 The relationship between book stocks and library expenditure, 6
and population and library expenditure
2.3 Inconsistencies in standard definitions 73
3. Notes of guidance-Survey questionnaires
4. Study data sets 125
5. Econometric data 181
6. Country profiles 19
7. LIB1-ECON Executive summary. 237
-iv. FIGURES AND TABLES
Table 1 Annual average library expenditure 1986-1990 5
Table 2 Unesco library sectors and the years where data were available: 14
Table 3 Average annual revenue expenditure on libraries 1981 -19857
Table 4 he increase in registered borrowers / users 1983-1985 18
Table 5 Annual average library expenditure for the periods 2
1981-1985 and 1986-1990
Table 6 Annual average staffing costs 2
Table 7 le acquisition expenditure9
Table 8 Annual average fees and charges received by libraries 30
Table 9 Average number of service points for the five year periods3
1981-1985 and 1986-1990
Table 10 Annual average number of volumes in collections4
Table 11 le collections of current periodicals 35
Table 12 Annual average number of audio visual materials in library collections 3
Table 13 Average annualr of staff employed 6
Table 14 Annual average number of trained librarians6
Table 15 Consultations per thousand population 37
Table 16 Annual average library expenditure 1981-85 and 1986-90 39
Table 17 Average annual staffing levels and expenditure 40
table 18: Annual average expenditure incurred in the acquisition of stock 40
Table 19 Average number of service points for the two quinquennia1
1981-1985 and 1986-1990
Table 20: Average number of volumes in collections2
Table 21: Consultations per thousand population 43
Figure 1: Libraries expenditure (all sectors) 3
Figure 2: European Union: GDP v RPI1982 -1990 4
EFTA: GDP v RPI 1982 - 1990
Figure 3: Revenue expenditure per annum on Libraries per head of population 8
1986-1990
Figure 4 Number of library books per head of population 1981-1985 average 10
Figure 5 r of library books per head ofn 1986-1990e 10
Figure 6 Public library expenditure 28
Figure 7 The sources of income and their respective proportions for all libraries 30
1986-1990
Figure 8: Public libraries - sources of funding, 1981-1985 30
Figure 9: Public libraries - sources of funding, 1986-1990 30
Figure 10: The principal items of expenditure and their respective proportions 31
for all library sectors 1986-1990
Figure 11: Population per service point - public libraries 1986-1990 34
Figure 12: n pere point - publics0 41
v-CHAPTER 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 Introduction
The purpose of this study has been to provide a statistical profile of library economics
amongst the Member States of the European Union (EU) for the years 1986-1990. It was
commissioned by DG XIII of then Commission and, in addition to providing a profile
for the years 1986-1990, was designed to update and complement the findings of a previous
study entitled "A Study of Library Economics in the European Community" which considered
the years 1981-1985.
This current study now extends the coverage of the European Union by including a separate
statistical profile for those further states which are signatories to the European Free Trade
Agreement (EFTA) relating to the years 1981-1990.
1.2 Framework for the study
The study adopts the six library sector definitions developed by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and reports the level of
expenditure and activities incurred by all libraries within this classification.
Survey questionnaires were despatched to all EU and EFTA states in 1993, and a database
. constructed on the basis of these returns, other published sources and information provided by
UNESCO.
1.3 Comparisons generated
The majority of comparisons are reported as the annual average for each of the two five year
periods covered by the respective studies (i.e. 1981-1985 and 1986-1990). This approach
substantially eliminates inconsistencies arising in year on year comparisons of the detailed
data. These inconsistencies occur as a result of variations concerning the estimates made on
the limited data supplied for respective years within the decade.
1.4 The overall findings in their econometric context
(i) Maintenance of libraries continues to be a central element in the cultural programmes of
member states of the European Union. However, there has been a marked change in the
relative focus of libraries' investment during the decade. Although Public Libraries
remain the principal source of library services, accounting for just under one half of
gross libraries expenditure (49%), the main areas of investment growth have been
devoted towards the Higher Education sector. This reflects an implicit policy to employ
the resources of the library services in education programmes, and to some extent
illustrates the switch in public sector resources from secondary towards tertiary
education.
As the number of pupils attending secondary schools has declined during the decade, so
has the investment in their libraries. The changing pattern of investment during the
decade also highlights the role of Public Libraries which have barely retained a constant
level of real terms funding, and have experienced a slight decline in staff employed. In
-1 -contrast there has been an increase in the activities of Special Libraries, perhaps
revealing the interest of commercial and professional bodies in employing their
information resources in the service of modern business affairs.
(ii) Overall library expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product has remained
static throughout the decade for the European Union states, at 0.15%. The
corresponding average for the EFTA states has fallen from 0.24% to 0.23%. Figure 1
depicts total library expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product for the EU
and EFTA states for the years 1982-1990. Relative to the retail price index total library
expenditure increased by some 1.9% per annum. However, as figure 2a shows the
growth in salaries exceeded that of retail price index during the second quiquennium.
Some 58% of libra