portal: Libraries and the Academy

Are we witnessing the privatization of public university research libraries? There is convincing evidence that, in an era of decreasing state support for public higher education, public universities have begun to resemble private universities, particularly in their sources of revenue. A number of indicators demonstrate that public universities, like private universities, are increasingly dependent on tuition and fees, federal grants and contracts, private gifts, and revenues from auxiliary services. How has this shift in revenue sources affected public university research libraries? Are public university research libraries beginning to resemble private university research libraries in how they are funded as well? Preliminary findings suggest that public university research libraries may also be funded in ways increasingly similar to private university research libraries.