Today's libraries are facing severe budget cuts. The library I work in is no exception. With these budget cuts, our library cut 85% of its print monograph budget. For a law school library, this is huge. Much of our print monograph purchases relate to study materials for students and other similar resources.
All is not lost. This budget crunch gives our library staff a unique opportunity to grow. Rather than simply purchasing materials, we can teach students how to find and use resources available online. Finding free online resources is beneficial to patrons over a print copy because multiple patrons can use the resource at the same time. We can expand our LibGuides to include guides for studying for different courses offered at our school. LibGuides give students a better range of material types that are helpful and may spur self-initiated searches.
Because the librarians will have more work ahead of them, this situation is an opportunity to showcase the library staff's importance in the school. Rather than fear of cuts, libraries should embrace them. Libraries can become creative and proactive in times of hardship and better serve its patrons.
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