Smaller budget crimps Mizzou libraries

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri libraries will offer fewer subscriptions to academic journals and databases to cope with a budget reduction caused in part by students' rejection of a library fee and an expected enrollment decline this fall.

Rabia Gregory, chairwoman of the Campus Library Committee said in a memo to campus department leaders this week the libraries are facing a $1.3 million shortfall this year and expect another $1 million gap in the fiscal year that starts July 1, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported.

Departments are being asked to rank their priorities for retaining subscriptions before the summer break.

In November, students rejected a library fee of $15 per credit hour that was expected to bring in $13 million annually when it was fully phased in by the 2021-2022 school year.

The libraries have an annual budget of $17.7 million and spend about $8 million on journal and database subscriptions.

The university also is forecasting an enrollment drop of 900 students in the fall, which would reduce tuition revenue by about $20 million.

University officials also aren't sure how much state support the system will receive.