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The task of the financial manager of a library is a formidable one. Wacht defines a financial manager as a person who manages the resources of an economic entity for the purposes of influencing the future outcome of its operations. The financial manager plays the major role in planning and measuring the organization's needs for funds, raising the necessary funds, and making certain that the funds acquired are properly employed. A financial manager must also estimate the future cash flow associated with individual projects, in addition to the funds necessary for the total operation of a library. Other duties include the evaluation of prospective new investments and programs on the organization's operations.

A public library budget can serve varied purposes: a contract, a management tool, a communication mechanism, a financial control mechanism, a motivator, a plan, a major policy‐making tool and as an instrument of democracy. This paper presents a methodology that public library directors can use to determine if the budget contains the information they need in order to make decisions.

In the past, the field of public libraries proved to be a neglected area of government in terms of allocating handsome budgets for adequate services and developing infrastructure. The aim of this research is (1) to understand the level of library professionals and associated challenges in the preparation and implementation of the budget in public libraries and (2) to analyze the annual grand and regular library budget allocated to public libraries.

A comprehensive literature search was carried out from work published in the past – the quantitative study based on a structured research questionnaire followed by the five-point Likert scale. The primary data were collected by distributing printed questionnaires among the library professionals serving in the directorate of public libraries and its suboffices. The secondary data “Budget Grand” for seven years (2009–2015) and the regular budget for two years (2015–2016) were collected from seven public libraries, and data on the district population and literacy rate were obtained from the provincial bureau of statistics. The authors used the one-way ANOVA on primary data to determine the average difference between samples and descriptive statistics on secondary data.

Survey results show that budgeting is a useful tool for predicting the future, controlling resources and improving employee performance and departmental levels. The findings disclosed that the annual budget review includes guidelines for implementation without adequate discussion and guidance for overcoming challenges. In addition to increasing print and database resources, currency fluctuations, unfair resource allocation and budgeting processes proved to be a potential obstacle to the execution of the library budget. Moreover, library material usage and regular membership are decreasing compared to literacy rates in each district of the province. It also turned out that the limited resources in a library compared to the population and the insufficient budget for operation, maintenance and other library processes posed another challenge for the administration.

The results, which are based on the primary data of experts and the secondary data on the library budget, can help the directorate of public libraries to push ahead with budgetary reforms and overcome challenges.

This article outlines some basic steps for librarians, publishers and sellers to cope with changes caused by currency fluctuations and falling budget pressures. Given the regional population, literacy gaps and the current state of libraries, the results could also cause the government to expand the public library network across the province.

The study builds upon the qualitative method using a questionnaire and on the secondary data for an in-depth understanding of the whole budgetary process. This comprehensive coverage of the budgeting process provides professionals with useful information in preparing a balanced budget for public libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the recent recession in the USA and its impact on libraries. It illustrates how libraries are coping with the fiscal constraints and challenges this economic climate imposes. It seeks to provide timely feedback and best practices from librarians and administrators (mostly academic) regarding measures they are taking and their plans for the future.

The literature review reveals news regarding library budget cuts and their impact on collections, operations, and personnel. Two online surveys were conducted, one of the library community at large, the other of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) deans and directors.

A majority of the libraries have experienced flat or reduced budgets and many expect additional budget cuts in the immediate future. Key areas affected include collections/materials, professional development/travel, supplies/equipment, personnel and hours of operation. Survey respondents suggest that library administrators and librarians should examine workflow to increase efficiency, prioritize projects, and adopt creative measures.

This article provides informative and practical suggestions for those managing budgets in difficult economic times.

Data collected provide a snapshot of the financial constraints libraries currently face. It provides practical lessons and suggestions for library administrators and librarians seeking to cope with flat or reduced budgets while maintaining quality services.

Political concerns are an integral part of any library's budgeting process. This article identifies the various constituencies who must be won over during budget development, allocation, and management, specifically in university libraries. The author outlines ways to ensure the support of major figures, suggests useful strategies, and presents examples from her experience. She also stresses the importance of keeping in mind the larger institutional goals and using these as a way to rally support around the library budget.

This article seeks to provide insight on how librarians managed through the recession. It aims to highlight key areas of concern such as budgets and personnel. It is the culmination of two surveys administered in the succeeding summers of 2009 and 2010.

The library community was notified of the surveys and provided the surveys' link via numerous library listservs. The same listservs were used for each survey. The responses received were from representatives of academic, special and public libraries.

An examination of the surveys reveals that budget cuts were worse in fiscal year (FY) 2009 than they were in 2010. Suggesting the cuts enacted in FY 2009 were effective thus less severe cuts were needed in FY 2010. Stress levels were high for FY 2009 and inched higher in FY 2010. There was no significant help, in terms of cost sharing for purchases, from the departments within the organizations the libraries served. Best practice suggestions were offered in many areas to include communication, purchasing and personnel.

When the economy experiences a contraction, businesses, governments and the general population begins to rein in expenses. This affects libraries of all types, special, academic and public. The article explores how the library community dealt with this issue and provides information that generates problem solving ideas for those in budgetary and leadership roles.

In Nigerian university libraries, government allocations are the main source of revenue supporting library operations. However, the level of government support differs between federal and state institutions. This is despite the reality that all universities provide similar levels of education and graduates who competitively compete with one another for employment. This inequality prompted a study to identify the various sources of funds supporting academic libraries and to determine which were the most useful. Among the discoveries was that the budget is used as a long‐term development plan, helping the librarians prioritize their needs. The results of this survey suggested several courses of action, ranging from lobbying from more government support to increasing philanthropic outreach.

This paper explains how library budgets can be cut in ways that are quick and unexpected. The purpose of this paper is to provide reasoning for these cuts with strategies for mediation and avoidance.

By understanding the intricacies of three unique types of phantom cuts, library managers can keep their budgets secure and even win additional monies moving forward.

Budgets can be cut through sound library fiscal management, large‐scale restructuring, or swift reaction to unexpected losses in revenue. Keeping the philosophy of the library as the best centerpiece for the potential for learning is the proper method to retain funding.

This paper shows sound fiscal management as a potential danger to managerial rewards for sound judgement, and introduces the reader to various aspects of zero‐based budgeting and strategic moves for handling complex fiscal change.

The purpose of the study is to find out the budgetary allocation for books and journals (Print and Electronic) and growth of resources during 2003-2004 to 2012-2013. The study also explored the significant/non-significant relationship for budget allocated for books and journals (Print and Electronic) as well as growth of resources across the libraries. This will help the librarians of such universities to build their collection accordingly.

The data were collected with the help of a structured questionnaire. Moreover, information was obtained from the primary library records such as annual reports, budget estimates, ledgers and also the staff involved in the acquisition section. The hypotheses were tested using chi-square test. The relationship between budgetary allocation and growth of resources amongst the five university libraries during 2003-2004 to 2012-2013 were analysed and discussed.

Maharishi Dayanand University library had the highest budget for purchase of books (Rs.125 lakh), whereas Panjab University library had the highest budget (Rs.208 lakh) for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) during 2012-2013. Panjab University library allocated Rs.18 lakh for purchase of books and Rs.208 lakh for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) during 2012-2013. Punjabi University library allocated 16 lakh for purchase of books and 45 lakh for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) during 2012-2013. Guru Nanak Dev University library allocated Rs.16.80 lakh as the budget for purchase of books and Rs.8.30 lakh for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) from 2007-2008 to 2012-2013. Kurukshetra University library allocated Rs.9 lakh for purchase of books during 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, whereas it had allocated Rs.79.20 lakh for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) during 2008-2009. Maharishi Dayanand University library allocated Rs.125 lakh for purchase of books during 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, whereas it allocated Rs.125 lakh for purchase of journals (Print and Electronic) during 2012-2013.

The study was limited to five universities of Northern India, which comprised Panjab University, Chandigarh (PU); Punjabi University, Patiala (PbiU); Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (GNDU); Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (KU); and Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak (MDU). The data related to budgetary allocation for resources and growth and cumulative growth of books and journals (print and electronic) during 2003-2004 to 2012-2013 were collected and analysed.

This is the first of its kind of study in these universities, which provides an overview of how much budget was allocated for collection development in these university libraries. The relation between budget allocation and growth of resources were compared, and their significant/non-significant relationship in five university libraries in North India was found.