ACRL Releases Findings on the State of US Academic Libraries
The Association of College and Research Librarians has released its annual State of the Library Report, which presents results from its Trends and Statistics Survey. Roughly 1,400 academic libraries participated in the survey, which provides statistics for the 2024 fiscal year.
The report is noteworthy in that it weights the survey results to represent all US libraries. This is a change from prior years, undertaken because the Department of Education no longer collects data from academic libraries for its Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Academic libraries and higher education institutions face considerable challenges, including attacks on intellectual freedom, funding and staffing cuts, and the rapidly changing technology and information landscape. While the data collected on the Trends and Statistics Survey cannot solve these problems, it equips the field with a foundation for evidence-based advocacy, planning, and continued innovation.
The report analyzes and provides visualizations of data from a wide variety of libraries, from two-year colleges to large research institutions. For example, the report’s findings include that roughly 80% of all library holdings are digital, with digital materials accounting for over 90% of library circulation. The percentage is highest for associate’s degree institutions, but institutions offering doctoral degrees see the highest usage for digital content. The report also provides statistics on expenditures, library staff-to-student ratios, library instruction, and library services.
Finally, the 2023–24 survey included a special section on accessibility, collecting data on a variety of accommodations provided by academic libraries, including physical accommodations as well as resources for class. The goal of including these questions in this iteration of the survey was to help the ALA in its efforts to increase funding for accessibility in campus libraries.
Access the full report on the ALA website.