Books and Journals Funds

Each School is allocated a fund for books and journals each year and Subject Librarians have a budget per College available to them.  In addition, the Library has a Special Research Fund and a Discretionary Fund  (see below) available for special purchases.

An overall book and journal budget is assigned to each School, as a proportion of the Library’s overall Books and Journals budget, according to the number and category of staff and students they had in the previous academic year.  A detailed explanation of the allocation mechanism is given in this presentation based on the 2006/2007 budget.  Once the budget is assigned, the School's estimated commitment for journal subscriptions is set aside and the balance is available for the purchase of other material.

Budget allocations for the current financial year

A report of expenditure is prepared every month so that Schools can monitor their spending.  Schools are not permitted to carry money forward from one financial year to the next, so early spending is advised.   The Library operates a clawback procedure (see below) from May each year, to ensure that book and journal funds are spent by the end of the financial year.

Latest report of expenditure for the current financial year 

If you have any enquiries about budgets or expenditure please contact your Information Librarian , Neil O'Brien  or Monica Crump at Ext. 3765.

Discretionary Fund

The Discretionary Fund is used to build up stocks in particular areas of need, to allow new academic staff to acquire material in their area of interest, or to act as start-up for entirely new areas of teaching. Applications for discretionary funding can be made to the Librarian.

Clawback Procedure

Following the introduction of new procedures by the Accounts Department in 2003, any money unspent in the Library accounts at the end of a financial year are clawed back to central University accounts and may not be carried forward to the next financial year.  In order to ensure that Library funds are not lost in this way, the Library has introduced its own clawback procedures to ensure that departmental bookfunds are spent promptly throughout the year.

The first clawback takes place at the end of February.  Schools are expected to have spent 50% of their allocated bookfund by the end of February.  Any Schools with less than 50% of their fund spent or committed at this point, will have some funds clawed back to the relevant College fund.  The amount clawed back will be calculated based on 50% of initial allocation minus any expenditure/commitments to date.  Information Librarians will then use these funds for cross-disciplinary purchases or to boost/update our collection in areas that are weak.

The second clawback takes place at the end of May.  At this point Schools are expected to have spent or committed 75% of their initial allocation.  Once again any Schools with less than 75% of their fund spent or committed at this point will have some funds clawed back to the relevant College fund.  The amount clawed back will be calculated based on 75% of initial allocation minus any expenditure/commitments to date.

These procedures are aimed at ensuring that all money allocated to the Library will be spent by the end of the financial year.

We would urge all Schools to spend their book budgets as early as possible in the academic and financial year so as to avoid clawback.  So please send your book orders into the acquisitions department as soon as possible.

Bibliographic Services

Updated 17th November 2009
Email:  monica.crump@nuigalway.ie

Phone: +353-91-49- 3338/3765

• XHTML
• CSS
• WAI-AA

• Disclaimer
• Privacy
• Copyright
• Accessibility