Reduction of Database Spending

July 2, 2020

In anticipation of a drastically reduced budget due to COVID-19, we are taking steps to continue seamlessly serving the public, which means making some budget choices. One of our early steps is making the tough decision to reduce database spending in 2020 and 2021.

A key component of our strategic plan is financial strength, and part of that from the beginning was identifying areas for potential reduction in the event of an economic downturn. Those who remember the last recession probably remember a lot of budget tightening at home and in the community, but something you might not have noticed is that during recessions, libraries become busier. So, when times are tough, we differ from other businesses because having more “customers” doesn’t necessarily increase our revenue. Which is why you’ll find library staff are good at figuring out how to do more with less.  

This means making tough choices. Our staff analyzed data on cost and usage of all of our databases, as well as looking at which ones have significant crossover, to identify which could be reduced. These are not reductions we take lightly, but they are necessary in order to adjust our budget based on economic forecasting.

Below you’ll find a listing of databases that have been cancelled. For some we have alternatives already in place, and in those cases we’re listing the alternatives alongside the cancelled databases.

Databases that have been cancelled and are no longer available:

ABC-CLIO

Demographics Now

Career Cruising

Contemporary Authors & Lit Crit

Science Online

Very Short Introductions

Databases That Will Sunset in 2020

Here are the databases for which we have paid up to later in the year, but we expect these to be gone before 2021. If you have data in these or files that you need to retrieve, such as a resume in Resume Maker, please do so at your earliest convenience.

Colorado Grants Guide

Foundation Directory Online

Foundation Grants to Individuals

Guidestar

Resume Maker (we will continue to provide Cypress Resume, an excellent alternative for resume creation)

Rosetta Stone (we will continue to provide Mango Languages, which is more cost-effective and has proven to be a higher-use database)