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Library and Technology Services (LTS) is exploring the option of outsourcing core university services, which could decrease its operating budget, while allowing LTS to continue supplying necessary services to the Brandeis community.

There are 31 core service elements to LTS, 18 of which are being considered for outsourcing. If all 18 are outsourced approximately 50 jobs would leave the Brandeis campus, decreasing the university’s roughly $1.8 million LTS operating cost.

LTS currently outsources several of its services such as the administrative database that runs SAGE (called People Soft), CTV, the process of selecting and ordering new books for the library, and all wiring done on campus.

LTS has already implemented some reductions that were approved by an advisory committee and University President Jehuda Reinharz for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). These reductions included a 16 percent reduction in staff, or 19 positions, and a 14 percent reduction in operating expenditures, approximately $1 million. No student positions were cut.

For FY11, LTS will be working on a “zero budget system,” meaning that the advisory committee would have to approve all expenditures before they are made as a money-saving measure.

“Our plan is to go to committees and show them our plan, see what they say so if we say ‘Well what do you think about outsourcing the help desk’ and the community goes, ‘What are you crazy,’ then we go OK, not possible, no outsourcing that,” said Perry Hanson, Vice President and Vice Provost for Library and Information Technology and Chief Information Officer.

LTS does expect to spend an additional $4.5 million in FY10 for a network upgrade that will run all wiring and campus technology on the most current technology.

LTS participates in national studies with over 100 other schools regarding library and technology on campus. They compare the universities procedures, budgets, and overall systems.