MessageDear Nancy:
I have not had a chance to look at the AAMD Statistical Survey recommended by Mona Chapin, though I certainly will do that. However, the survey form that I composed in 2002 for small art museum libraries (in which the Walters participated) did have questions about the participants' overall museum budget and the overall library budget. I had difficulty getting all the museum librarians to answer the budget question, but I did publish those that responded. The raw data is in an Excel file that I can send you. Some comments on the data are on p. 33 in the article I wrote for Art Documentation, "A Survey of Small Art Museum Libraries," Art Doc 22: 2 (Fall 2003). The survey was not a random survey; all participants were volunteers. Nevertheless, they represented libraries across the U.S. and Canada. I also included a similar comparison of library square footage as a percentage of museum square footage.
Although there are many variables that can result in different percentages, I felt that an awareness of these comparative numbers for one's own institution could help art museum librarians and their administrations to assess how the library is valued within the overall organizational context. As I said in the article, "It is only one tool among many others, but it can provide a clarifying perspective to the museum librarian who must ask for a funding increase." I doubt very much if there is a "standard," however, for such percentages. My discussion of the issue was intended only to raise consciousness of these measurable differences. I found in my survey that many art museum librarians were not aware of basic statistics concerning their parent museums, nor of their own libraries for that matter.
Joan M. Benedetti
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----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy Patterson
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 1:17 PM
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Museum Libraries/Budgets
Hello, All -
What percentage of a museum's annual operating budget is (ideally) allocated for the library's operating budget? [That is -- all library budget lines including salaries.]
I know I've seen a resource that supplied this figure, but am at a loss now when I need it!
Can you help?
Thanks for any info,
Nancy
Nancy Patterson
Head Librarian
The Walters Art Museum
Research Library
600 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-5185
(410) 547 9000, ext. 274
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Check out: www.thewalters.org
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Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
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Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
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