The costs of a multi‐site library service: a study of Brighton Polytechnic

Abstract

Polytechnic libraries are increasingly finding the need to justify their costs, but although many are multi‐site, differences between them have hampered attempts to apply standards. This article gives the results of a study carried out at Brighton Polytechnic to identify the proportion of staffing and materials costs which could be attributed to the fact that it operated nine separate libraries rather than one central facility. In analysing costs and benefits, some advantages emerge for the multi‐site library. Financial costs are generally cited as a major disadvantage, but polytechnic library statistics show no correlation between funding and number of sites. The study at Brighton calculated the effect of the multi‐site situation on staff numbers and gradings. It found that this accounted for 36 per cent of the salaries bill. A survey of book and journal provision showed that 14 per cent of the materials budget was being spent on duplicating material across sites. Overall 28 per cent of the library budget at Brighton could be attributed to the multi‐site factor. The effects on capital equipment and space utilisation are also noted. At the same time, it is recognised that costs cannot be considered in isolation from services and that many other factors affect the level of funding in the multi‐site library.