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Table 701.40. | Collections, staff, and operating expenditures of degree-granting postsecondary institution libraries: Selected academic years, 2001-02 through 2020-21 |
Collections, staff, and operating expenditures | 2001-02 | 2011-12 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||||||
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Total | Public | Private nonprofit | Private for-profit |
Total | Public | Private nonprofit | Private for-profit |
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Number of libraries | 3,568 | 3,793 | 4,134 | 3,999 | 3,944 | 3,710 | 3,697 | 3,654 | 1,551 | 1,565 | 538 | 3,631 | 1,547 | 1,542 | 542 |
Percentage of institutions with libraries | 85.0 | 80.6 | 90.2 | 91.7 | 91.4 | 91.8 | 92.8 | 93.0 | 97.7 | 95.4 | 76.4 | 93.1 | 97.8 | 94.8 | 78.4 |
Number of circulation transactions (in thousands) | 189,248 | 154,409 | 917,510 | 778,357 | 772,169 | 686,262 | 700,352 | 1,028,996 | 598,187 | 349,350 | 81,459 | 1,074,154 | 682,420 | 311,469 | 80,266 |
Physical transactions | --- | --- | 81,182 | 67,796 | 58,199 | 52,832 | 46,054 | 31,405 | 18,186 | 12,868 | 350 | 13,480 | 6,626 | 6,673 | 181 |
Electronic transactions | --- | --- | 836,328 | 710,561 | 713,970 | 633,430 | 654,298 | 997,592 | 580,001 | 336,482 | 81,108 | 1,060,674 | 675,793 | 304,796 | 80,085 |
Number of circulation transactions per full-time- equivalent (FTE) student |
16 | 10 | 60 | 52 | 52 | 46 | 47 | 70 | 57 | 99 | 107 | 75 | 68 | 90 | 100 |
Enrollment (in thousands) |
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Total enrollment1 | 15,928 | 20,994 | 20,209 | 19,988 | 19,847 | 19,778 | 19,651 | 19,630 | 14,504 | 4,135 | 991 | 19,027 | 13,884 | 4,101 | 1,042 |
FTE enrollment1 | 11,766 | 15,886 | 15,263 | 15,079 | 14,938 | 14,884 | 14,786 | 14,762 | 10,487 | 3,517 | 758 | 14,340 | 10,068 | 3,472 | 800 |
Collections (in thousands) |
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Total number of physical and electronic materials (books, media, and databases) |
--- | --- | 2,128,233 | 1,985,142 | 2,208,941 | 2,218,419 | 2,567,446 | 2,746,699 | 1,457,560 | 1,061,389 | 227,750 | 2,889,335 | 1,560,992 | 1,089,658 | 238,685 |
Number of books | --- | --- | 1,711,851 | 1,573,341 | 1,650,727 | 1,637,365 | 1,798,225 | 1,956,845 | 1,030,040 | 814,142 | 112,663 | 2,078,928 | 1,091,293 | 839,665 | 147,970 |
Physical books | --- | --- | 1,036,223 | 824,767 | 799,192 | 752,950 | 731,008 | 728,004 | 435,246 | 290,243 | 2,515 | 715,070 | 429,930 | 283,173 | 1,967 |
Electronic books | 10,318 | 252,599 | 675,629 | 748,575 | 851,536 | 884,414 | 1,067,217 | 1,228,841 | 594,794 | 523,899 | 110,148 | 1,363,858 | 661,363 | 556,492 | 146,003 |
Number of media (includes audiovisual materials) | --- | --- | 411,822 | 410,274 | 557,267 | 579,814 | 767,710 | 788,307 | 426,959 | 246,581 | 114,767 | 808,942 | 469,115 | 249,414 | 90,413 |
Physical media | --- | --- | 253,826 | 190,049 | 194,763 | 179,406 | 166,706 | 159,066 | 107,479 | 51,203 | 384 | 155,484 | 106,702 | 48,464 | 318 |
Electronic media | --- | --- | 157,996 | 220,225 | 362,505 | 400,409 | 601,005 | 629,241 | 319,480 | 195,378 | 114,383 | 653,459 | 362,413 | 200,950 | 90,095 |
Number of databases (electronic only) | --- | --- | 4,560 | 1,527 | 947 | 1,240 | 1,511 | 1,547 | 562 | 666 | 320 | 1,464 | 584 | 579 | 302 |
Number of volumes at end of year | 954,030 | 1,099,951 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Number of volumes added during year | 24,574 | 27,605 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Number of serial subscriptions at end of year2 | 9,855 | --- | --- | 222,010 | 289,411 | 291,825 | 395,521 | 396,341 | 134,375 | 130,264 | 131,702 | 614,572 | 227,737 | 260,085 | 126,750 |
Physical serial subscription | --- | --- | --- | 23,578 | 21,850 | 23,552 | 21,096 | 21,734 | 13,537 | 8,082 | 115 | 21,803 | 14,220 | 7,469 | 113 |
E-serial subscription | --- | --- | --- | 198,432 | 267,561 | 268,273 | 374,425 | 374,607 | 120,837 | 122,183 | 131,587 | 592,769 | 213,516 | 252,616 | 126,637 |
Microform units at end of year | 1,143,678 | 1,044,521 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Number of volumes per FTE student | 81 | 69 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Number of books per FTE student | --- | --- | 112 | 104 | 111 | 110 | 122 | 133 | 98 | 231 | 149 | 145 | 108 | 242 | 185 |
FTE library staff |
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Total staff in regular positions3 | 69,526 | 65,242 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Librarians and professional staff | 32,053 | 34,423 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Other paid staff | 37,473 | 30,819 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Contributed services | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Student assistants | 25,305 | 20,509 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
FTE student enrollment per FTE staff member | 169 | 243 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Library operating expenditures4 |
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Total operating expenditures (in thousands of current dollars) |
$5,370,217 | $6,981,276 | $7,957,153 | $8,085,556 | $8,243,595 | $8,317,493 | $8,386,070 | $8,322,052 | $4,930,094 | $3,318,079 | $73,879 | $7,908,508 | $4,734,820 | $3,101,663 | $72,025 |
Salaries and wages5 | 2,753,404 | 3,443,831 | 3,422,050 | 3,455,940 | 3,504,446 | 3,529,745 | 3,555,572 | 3,548,072 | 2,216,796 | 1,301,788 | 29,488 | 3,317,580 | 2,093,322 | 1,197,063 | 27,196 |
Fringe benefits | --- | --- | 745,195 | 759,363 | 784,747 | 800,253 | 816,903 | 829,550 | 537,990 | 288,825 | 2,735 | 793,183 | 525,318 | 265,659 | 2,206 |
Computer hardware/software | 155,791 | 143,660 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Bibliographic utilities/networks/consortia | 92,242 | 123,650 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Information resources | 1,944,490 | 2,763,202 | 3,016,495 | 3,083,854 | 3,126,900 | 3,160,687 | 3,196,130 | 3,184,815 | 1,804,193 | 1,348,080 | 32,542 | 3,126,299 | 1,778,974 | 1,313,098 | 34,228 |
Books, serial backfiles, and other materials | --- | --- | 604,100 | 614,389 | 604,279 | 578,131 | 555,367 | 510,194 | 252,597 | 255,366 | 2,230 | 499,272 | 264,592 | 232,704 | 1,976 |
Books and serial backfiles—paper | 563,007 | 503,851 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Books and serial backfiles—electronic | 44,792 | 180,570 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Audiovisual materials | 37,041 | 37,022 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Ongoing commitments to subscriptions | --- | --- | 2,217,573 | 2,287,252 | 2,353,844 | 2,402,873 | 2,461,531 | 2,501,948 | 1,456,148 | 1,017,564 | 28,235 | 2,449,480 | 1,416,244 | 1,002,449 | 30,786 |
Current serials—paper | 926,105 | 487,265 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Current serials—electronic | 297,657 | 1,436,671 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Preservation, other materials/services expenditures |
--- | --- | 162,484 | 182,213 | 168,777 | 179,684 | 179,233 | 172,673 | 95,447 | 75,150 | 2,077 | 177,547 | 98,138 | 77,945 | 1,465 |
Document delivery/interlibrary loan | 22,913 | 32,490 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Other collection expenditures | 52,976 | 85,334 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Other library operating expenditures | 424,290 | 506,934 | 773,413 | 786,399 | 827,502 | 826,808 | 817,466 | 759,615 | 371,115 | 379,386 | 9,114 | 671,445 | 337,206 | 325,843 | 8,397 |
Operating expenditures per FTE student |
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In current dollars | 456 | 439 | 521 | 536 | 552 | 559 | 567 | 564 | 470 | 943 | 97 | 552 | 470 | 893 | 90 |
In constant 2021-22 dollars6 | 722 | 545 | 621 | 635 | 641 | 635 | 632 | 618 | 515 | 1034 | 107 | 591 | 504 | 958 | 96 |
Information resource expenditures per FTE student | |||||||||||||||
In current dollars | 165 | 174 | 198 | 205 | 209 | 212 | 216 | 216 | 172 | 383 | 43 | 218 | 177 | 378 | 43 |
In constant 2021-22 dollars6 | 262 | 216 | 235 | 242 | 243 | 241 | 241 | 237 | 189 | 420 | 47 | 234 | 189 | 405 | 46 |
Operating expenditures (percentage distribution) |
100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Salaries and wages5 | 51.3 | 49.3 | 43.0 | 42.7 | 42.5 | 42.4 | 42.4 | 42.6 | 45.0 | 39.2 | 39.9 | 41.9 | 44.2 | 38.6 | 37.8 |
Fringe benefits | --- | --- | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.9 | 8.7 | 3.7 | 10.0 | 11.1 | 8.6 | 3.1 |
Information resources7 | 36.2 | 39.6 | 37.9 | 38.1 | 37.9 | 38.0 | 38.1 | 38.3 | 36.6 | 40.6 | 44.0 | 39.5 | 37.6 | 42.3 | 47.5 |
Other8 | 12.5 | 11.1 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 9.9 | 9.7 | 9.1 | 7.5 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 8.5 | 7.1 | 10.5 | 11.7 |
---Not available. | |||||||||||||||
1Fall enrollment for the academic year specified. | |||||||||||||||
2If a single title comes in both paper and electronic formats, it counts as two subscriptions. | |||||||||||||||
3Excludes student assistants. | |||||||||||||||
4Excludes capital outlay. Expenditure data are reported only by degree-granting institutions with total expenditures over $100,000. | |||||||||||||||
5Includes student hourly wages. | |||||||||||||||
6Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index, prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. | |||||||||||||||
7Expenditures on information resources include expenditures on preservation. | |||||||||||||||
8Includes computer hardware/software, bibliographic utilities/networks/consortia, and "other library operating expenditures" not individually listed. | |||||||||||||||
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Degree-granting institutions grant associate's or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. | |||||||||||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Academic Libraries Survey (ALS), 2000 through 2012; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2015 through Spring 2021, Fall Enrollment component; and IPEDS Spring 2015 through Spring 2021, Academic Libraries component. (This table was prepared April 2023.) |