ARL Statistics 2016-2017

摘要

ARL Statistics 2016-2017 is the latest in a series of annual publications that describe collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities for the 124 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Of these, 114 are university libraries; the remaining 10 are public, governmental, and nonprofit research libraries. ARL member libraries are the largest research libraries in Canada and the US, representing 16 Canadian and 108 US research institutions. The academic libraries, which comprise 92% of the membership, include 15 Canadian and 99 US libraries. Statistics have been collected and published annually for the members of the Association of Research Libraries since 1961-62. Prior to 1961-62, annual statistics for university libraries were collected by James Gerould, first at the University of Minnesota and later at Princeton University.1 These data, covering the years 1907-08 through 1961-62, are now called the Gerould statistics.2 The complete data series from 1908 represents the oldest and most comprehensive continuing library statistical series in North America. ARL libraries are a relatively small subset of libraries in North America, but they do account for a large portion of academic library resources in terms of assets, expenditures, and the number of users they serve. The total library expenditures of all 124 member libraries in 2016-2017 was slightly more than $4.6 billion; of that, approximately $3.5 billion was spent by the 114 university libraries, and $1 billion was spent by the nonuniversity libraries.3 The pie charts below show how the two types of libraries divide these expenditures differently.