GUIDELINES

FOR VISION SCIENCE LIBRARIES

Compiled by The Association of Vision Science Librarians
October 19, 2007

 

CONTENTS

 

The appendices to this document consist of a collection of miscellaneous documents created by the members of the Association of Vision Science Librarians to serve as useful tools for vision librarians.

INTRODUCTION

In 1976 the Association of Vision Science Librarians published Guidelines and Standards for Visual Science Libraries Serving Optometric Institutions.[1]  In 1986 Standards for Academic Visual Science Libraries[2] and in 2000 Standards for Vision Science Libraries[3] were issued separately, thereby allowing the Guidelines to be updated as needed to reflect current information.  This is the fourteenth edition of the Guidelines to be issued separately, with previous editions issued in 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

 

Although issued separately, the Guidelines are intended to be used in conjunction with the Standards in order to obtain a full range of qualitative and quantitative information about the collections and services of academic vision libraries. The Guidelines provide information of a quantitative nature, including monograph and serial prices and vision library statistics. In earlier versions of the Guidelines the source of much statistical information relating to vision libraries was the Annual Survey of Optometric Educational Institutions, published by ASCO -- the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. However, this publication has not included a section on library statistics since 1994.[4]  Believing that there continues to be a need for statistical information about vision libraries, the Association of Vision Science Librarians conducted its own statistical surveys in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006, and the 2006 survey is one source of the statistics reported in this version of the Guidelines. A major improvement over the ASCO statistics is the fact that the AVSL figures apply to ophthalmology, industry, AND optometry libraries, while the ASCO figures applied to optometry libraries only. As such, a much more comprehensive snapshot of vision libraries in general is obtained, and the earlier bias toward academic optometry libraries is removed.

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VISION SCIENCE LIBRARIES

Librarians whose collections serve industry, hospitals, and schools of optometry or ophthalmology, and other vision-related institutions comprise the Association of Vision Science Librarians (AVSL), whose member libraries appear in Appendix F. In the past AVSL has classified vision libraries according to three types:

A – an independent library which is not a part of a larger university,

B - a branch library serving a school or college of optometry or ophthalmology which is part of a larger university or other academic institution,

C - a combined science or health science library serving the school or college of optometry or ophthalmology as well as other schools, colleges or departments of the university.

While there still may be merit in classifying vision libraries according to these three types, AVSL broke with tradition several years ago by combining the statistics for all types of libraries into one table. See Appendix G for the results of the most recent survey posted in tabular form. It is hoped that the survey's layout will enable viewers to make useful comparisons among sizes and types of libraries without having to distinguish among the traditional types A, B, and C.

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COLLECTION SIZE, CLIENTELE, AND STAFF

In order to determine relative collection size, vision libraries were asked to measure (or estimate, if time did not permit a measurement) the linear feet of volumes in class RE (for Library of Congress libraries), WW (for NLM) libraries, or the category corresponding to "ophthalmology" for libraries using other classification schemes. Both monographs and serials were to be included in this figure. 

The following table includes information that was extracted from the overall survey, which appears as Appendix G.

 

TABLE 1: LINEAR FEET OF VOLUMES
IN RE,WW, OR EQUIVALENT
(MONOGRAPHS AND SERIALS)
2006

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL LIBRARIES

784.94

671.00

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=15)

840.86

718.88

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=4)

755.67

712.00

 

These figures represent linear feet of volumes in these classification numbers, and since only vision-related materials are measured, meaningful comparisons of all types of libraries are obtained. In addition, this method of gathering statistics allows vision librarians to gather statistical information without extraordinary effort. If one wishes to calculate the numbers of volumes represented by these linear measurements, a figure of ten volumes per linear foot could be used.

Obviously, some libraries hold many more volumes in their entire collections (vision and non-vision) than the figures here represent, while others' entire holdings will be much closer to these figures. The intent here was to identify a constant that could apply across a wide variety of libraries that might otherwise not be comparable. Using this technique, the vision holdings of large health libraries can be compared meaningfully with the vision holdings of small hospital libraries, regardless of the percent of the library that those holdings represent.

Several additional sets of statistics may be useful, particularly for those librarians who may be organizing new vision science collections or for those who would like to compare their libraries against an aggregate of similar libraries. The following figures also were derived from the AVSL statistical survey of 2004.

 

TABLE 2: NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPRISING VISION-RELATED
INSTITUTIONAL CLIENTELE
2006

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL LIBRARIES

442.68

425.00

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=15)

501.40

500.00

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=4)

280.00

300.00

 

TABLE 3: NUMBER OF STAFF DEDICATED TO VISION-RELATED
LIBRARY SERVICE IN FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS
(BY TYPE OF LIBRARY)
2006

LIBRARY TYPE

PROFESSIONAL

NON-
PROFESSIONAL
(NOT
INCLUDING
HOURLY)

HOURLY

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

MEAN

MEDIAN

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL RESPONDENTS

1.30

1.00

1.07

.88

1.62

1.43

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES (N=15)

1.38

1.00

1.27

1.00

2.02

1.63

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES (n=4)

1.33

1.00

0.43

0.30

0.28

0.25

 

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SALARIES

SALARY SURVEY

During 2002, Maureen Watson conducted her third staffing, salary, and status survey in order to update her previous studies, conducted in 1989 and 1996.  A new edition of this survey is anticipated for 2007, and its results will be incorporated into this document when it is completed.   Responses from the 2002 survey indicate that the number of librarians receiving paid vacation, sick leave, retirement, health insurance, tuition reimbursement, and support for continuing education is lower than in 1996.  Mean regional salaries are highest in the west and lowest in the south.   Mean salaries are also highest in branch libraries. The number of male librarians seems to be increasing, and the group wondered if that might be a result of higher salaries (or if higher salaries are the result of more men in the field) and more technology.  The following tables are derived directly from information disseminated by Watson at the AVSL annual meeting in San Diego in 2002.

 

TABLE 4:  AVSL STAFFING, SALARY AND STATUS SURVEY RESULTS

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS

 

1989

1996

2002

# LIBRARIANS REPRESENTED

43

40

40

# INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED

33

26

18

AVERAGE YEARS WORKED

6.8

8.7

9.4

MEAN SALARY

$31,647

$36,500

$45,450

MEAN SALARY FOR DIRECTORS/MANAGERS

N/A

$46,654

$60,833

 

 

 

TABLE 5: MEAN REGIONAL SALARIES
1996/2002

 

1996

2002

NORTHEAST

$34,625

$43,857

SOUTH AND SOUTH CENTRAL

$33,200

$42,000

MIDWEST

$38,115

$52,286

WEST

$45,500

$55,333

 

 TABLE 6:  BENEFITS COMPARISON

2002

 

AVSL

1989

AVSL

1996

AVSL

2002

PAID VACATION

98%

98%

90%

SICK LEAVE

98

98

90

RETIREMENT

96

95

90

HEALTH INSURANCE

98

98

90

PROF. TRAVEL EXPENSE

94

75

88

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

63

63

53

SABBATICAL LEAVE

22

20

23

DENTAL INSURANCE

76

90

90

VISION PLAN

50

60

78

SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION

67

87

85

 

TABLE 7:  MEAN SALARIES BY TYPE OF LIBRARY

2002

 

AVSL

1989

AVSL

1996

AVSL

2002

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

$30,000

$34,786

$41, 052

BRANCH

$32,476

$41,857

$65,333

COMBINED HEALTH SCIENCES

$35,300

$30,071

$45,714

GENERAL UNIVERSITY

$26,000

$$36,500

$54,000

HOSPITAL

$31,500

$41,000

$43,428

CORPORATE OR NON-PROFIT

$34,700

$39,125

NO DATA

 

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LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS

It is helpful for individuals responsible for starting new vision libraries or for vision librarians requesting resources from administrators to be able to compare their local situation with a composite of similar libraries. The information in Tables 8, 9, and 10 also was derived from the 2006 AVSL statistical survey.

 

TABLE 8: ANNUAL MONOGRAPHS BUDGETS
(BY TYPE OF LIBRARY)
2006

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL LIBRARIES

$12,330.44

$10,000

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=15)

$13,842.69

$10,000

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=4)

$8,546/00

$10,515.00

 

TABLE 9:  ANNUAL SERIALS BUDGETS

(BY TYPE OF LIBRARY)

2006

LIBRARY TYPE

ANNUAL SERIALS
BUDGET

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL LIBRARIES

$49,578.87

$40,000

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=15)

$58,303.51

$55,000

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=4)

$21,148.67

$21,484.00

 

 

TABLE 10: NUMBER OF PAPER AND ELECTRONIC SERIALS*

(BY TYPE OF LIBRARY)
2006

LIBRARY TYPE

PAPER

ELECTRONIC

 

MEAN

MEDIAN

MEAN

MEDIAN

ALL LIBRARIES

103.65

97.50

68.63

66.00

OPTOMETRY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=15)

123.40

115.00

78.00

73.00

OPHTHALMOLOGY LIBRARIES ONLY (n=4)

49.25

47.50

42.67

49.00

*For ease of reporting, libraries holding paper and electronic copies of the same serial were asked to report one paper serial and one electronic serial.

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COST OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

MONOGRAPHS

For the year ending in December, 2007, the U.S. consumer price index is expected to rise 2.0% over the previous year,[5] continuing a period of nearly 25 years of low general inflation.  In recent decades it has been demonstrated that there is little correlation between the consumer price index and the cost of library materials. The general perception that price increases for library materials continue to be exorbitant can certainly be attributed to continuing serials inflation, but it now appears that monograph prices have started to rise, after a decade-long period of fairly constant prices. 

Among areas of interest to vision libraries, U.S. hardcover book prices in education, medicine, and science all experienced significant price increases in 2006, with the prices for education and medicine increasing by double-digit percentages.  Only U.S. hardcover books in technology experienced a price decrease-- of 6.7%.

Table 11, derived from the Bowker Annual,[6] shows 1997 average prices, 2004, 2005, and 2006 (preliminary) prices, the percent change from 2005 to 2006, and an index based on 1997 prices for U.S. hardcover books in several subject categories which are relevant to vision science.

 

                TABLE 11: U.S HARDCOVER BOOK PRICES
(Index Base: 1997=100)
2006

SUBJECT

1997

2004

2005

2006*

% CHANGE
FROM 2005

INDEX

EDUCATION

$85.74

$66.85

$76.61

$88.44

+15.4

103.2

MEDICINE

$111.88

$86.20

$106.98

$118.90

+11.1

106.3

SCIENCE

$103.54

$117.17

$115.76

$123.73

+6.9

112.8

TECHNOLOGY

$133.58

$115.93

$123.37

$115.08

-6.7

86.2

ALL SUBJECTS

$72.67

$61.32

$67.37

$70.76

+5.3

97.5

            *preliminary

Table 12, also from the Bowker Annual, records prices for North American academic books. It shows that in this area inflation is beginning to appear, with three of the four categories increasing by double-digit percentages.  Overall, among all academic subjects inflation is now up to at least 6.4%, and this number may actually be somewhat higher, since the Bowker figures in this category do not include 2006.

 

 TABLE 12: NORTH AMERICAN ACADEMIC BOOK PRICES
(Index Base: 1989=100)
2005

SUBJECT

1989

2003

2004

2005

% CHANGE
FROM 2004

INDEX

EDUCATION

$29.61

$44.58

$47.47

$51.30

+12.2

177.8

MEDICINE

$58.38

$71.49

$76.72

$83.45

+8.8

142.9

PSYCHOLOGY

$31.97

$49.96

$50.67

$56.851

+12.2

177.8

SCIENCE

$56.10

$75.88

$96.99

$86.82

-10.5

154.8

 

ALL SUBJECTS

$41.69

$55.71

$61.50

$65.42

+6.4

156.9

Table 13 reveals that inflation in prices for British academic books for all subjects increased by 4.0% from 2005 to 2006 but with wide variations in areas that are of interest to vision libraries, including two categories with double-digit increases and one with a double-digit decrease.

 

TABLE 13: BRITISH ACADEMIC BOOK PRICES
(Index Base: 1985=100)
2006
[in pounds sterling]

SUBJECT

1985

2004

2005

2006

% CHANGE
FROM 2005

INDEX

EDUCATION

12.22

41.76

38.92

44.54

+14.4

364.5

MISCELLANEOUS MEDICINE

22.08

45.74

49.31

51.28

+4.0

232.2

NON-CLINICAL MEDICINE

18.19

43.09

43.80

38.64

-11.8

212.4

GENERAL MEDICINE

21.03

46.34

50.53

54.02

+6.9

256.9

PSYCHOLOGY

19.25

42.41

42.56

47.02

+10.5

244.3

GENERAL SCIENCE

13.73

40.95

38.57

39.98

+3.7

291.2

 

ALL SUBJECTS

19.07

40.85

43.37

45.09

+4.0

236.4

 

 

 

Table 14 is derived from "Brandon/Hill Selected List of Print Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library" and, although dated, presents perhaps a more relevant picture of price trends for monographs in a category which is of particular interest to AVSL members. This list of monograph and serial titles recommended for a small medical library is highly respected. It reports an increase in the average cost per book title of 7.7% (or 3.85% per year) for 2003 over 2001 and an average list price of $132.19 for monographs in its sample.[7]

 

 

 

 TABLE 14: MONOGRAPHS IN BRANDON/HILL LIST
2003

1989

1997

1999

2001

2003

% CHANGE
FROM 2001

$80.87

$114.57

$119.36

$122.76