Report Shows Increased Need for Libraries on Campuses

 Report Shows Increased Need for Libraries on Campuses

The need for libraries on college and university campuses has increased, according to a new ALA, Office for Research and Statistics study entitled “Trends in Academic Libraries, 1998 to 2008.” Analyzing data from the Academic Library Survey administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the study notes among its findings:

·         The total number of academic libraries reporting grew 6.9 percent in 2008 from 1998.

·         Total expenditures for academic libraries grew 48.5 percent, with salaries and wages rising 30.6 percent and information resources 134.9 percent.

·         Interlibrary loans to and from libraries grew, with loans of returnable materials provided to other libraries increasing 54.0 percent and loans received increasing 62.9 percent during the 10‐year period.

And for collections:

·         20.2 percent increase for books, serial backfiles and other paper materials;

·         898.3 percent increase for E‐books; and

·         244.6 percent increase for current serial subscriptions

However,

·         salaries and wages as a percentage of all expenditures declined ‐5.9 percent during the 10‐year period.

·         Circulation of academic library general collections declined ‐20.9 percent in 2008 from 1998.