As library collections increasingly become digital, libraries are faced with many challenges regarding the acquisition and management of electronic resources. Some of these challenges include copyright and fair use, the first-sale doctrine, licensing versus ownership, digital preservation, long-term archiving, and, most important, the issue of…

The year 2009 will be remembered as one of angst, with the economy dominating news around the world. Few libraries were immune to the extraordinary financial pressures. The library marketplace by year's end was in a weakened position, with prospects of a long recovery at best. Concern persists that even deeper budget cuts will come when federal…

This report marks the first release of library statistics data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2006. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative effort…

This report contains the results of the Association of Research Libraries' survey of academic Health Sciences libraries for 2004-05. Data are presented on collections, expenditures, and personnel and public services. Out of 113 ARL university libraries, 67 responded to the survey. Health Sciences libraries reported median values of 243,011 volumes…

Even in the best of times, librarians have to be concerned about funding. Librarians who are faced with reducing expenditures have to consider which of them are essential for the institution to fulfill its mission. With all the changes that today's information technologies have brought, the library's role both now and in the future is not as…

This report contains the results of the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) survey of academic Health Sciences libraries for 2002-03. Data are presented on collections, expenditures, and personnel and public services. Out of 114 ARL university libraries, 65 responded to the survey. Health Sciences libraries reported median values of 232,559…

This report presents statistics on how Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries spend money on electronic resources. This report indicates that expenditures for electronic resources account for 25%, on average, of ARL institutions' library materials budgets. ARL libraries reported spending more than $228 million on electronic…

This report contains the results of the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) survey of academic Health Sciences libraries for 2001-02. Out of 114 ARL university libraries, 65 responded to the survey. Data are presented on collections, expenditures, and personnel and public services. Includes questionnaire. Health Sciences libraries reported…

In assessing the value of a university library, its potential value must be considered as well as its actual value to the cause of scholarship. (IR)

The project described in this report was designed to create an awareness of local documents on the part of libraries in the Chicago metropolitan area and to gather data on the scope of local document collections in area libraries. Through workshops and personal visits to libraries, the project reached 275 librarians, and, as a result of needs…

This document is the latest in a series of annual publications that describe collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities for the 123 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Of these, 113 are university libraries, the remaining 10 are public, governmental, and nonprofit research libraries. Data reported by member…

Dalhousie is a medium-sized university, with about 15,000 FTE students, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious universities, yet, like many other public institutions, it frequently suffers from a lack of adequate funding to fulfill all the conflicting needs of the various faculties and departments. This…

A 1956 Office of Education study showed that 26 million rural residents were without any public library service and that more than 300 rural counties had no public library within their borders. An additional 50 million rural residents had only inadequate service. Congress passed the Library Services Act in 1956 to stimulate the further development…

The 2012 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 48th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…

The 2011 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 47th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…