The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published the ARL Statistics 2015–2016, ARL Academic Law Library Statistics 2015–2016, and ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics 2015–2016. These three publications present information describing the collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities of the Association’s 124 member libraries in fiscal year 2015–2016. Of these 124 members, 114 are university libraries (15 in Canada and 99 in the US); the remaining 10 are public, governmental, and nonprofit research libraries (1 in Canada, 9 in the US). The law and health sciences publications focus on the 72 law libraries and 58 medical libraries among the Association’s membership that completed the law and health sciences surveys.
The ARL libraries are a relatively small subset of libraries in North America, but they account for a large portion of academic library resources in terms of assets, expenditures, and the number of users they serve. The total expenditures of all 124 member libraries in 2015–2016 were almost $4.7 billion; of that, approximately $3.5 billion was spent by the 114 university libraries and more than $1.3 billion by the nonuniversity libraries. The total number of participants in group presentations reported by all libraries was 3.1 million; the number of reference transactions was 5.6 million. The reporting law libraries spent a total of $211,417,122, delivered presentations to 110, 634 individuals, and reported 232,542 reference transactions. The reporting health sciences libraries spent a total of $238,148,802, delivered presentations to 198,549 individuals, and reported 331,601 reference transactions.
ARL Statistics Purchase Options
The ARL Statistics, ARL Academic Law Library Statistics, and ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics are available in both print and online formats.
Print Format
ARL Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 134 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-988-7
$170 ($85 ARL members)
ARL Academic Law Library Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 68 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-990-0
$135 ($65 ARL members)
ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 59 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-992-4
$135 ($65 ARL members)
Online Format
Access is available by password or IP range.
ARL Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 134 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-989-4
$170 (free for ARL members)
ARL Academic Law Library Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 68 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-991-7
$170 (free for ARL members)
ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics 2015–2016
Shaneka Morris and Gary Roebuck, comps. and eds.
2018 • 59 pages
ISBN 978-1-59407-993-1
$170 (free for ARL members)
Password access to the ARL Statistics 2015–2016, ARL Academic Law Library Statistics 2015–2016, and ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics 2015–2016 can be purchased online with a credit card.
Order online IP access and print copies from:
ARL Publications Distribution Center
PO Box 531
Annapolis Junction MD 20701-0531
Phone: 301-362-8196
Fax: 240-396-2479
Email: arl@brightkey.net
Shipping and Handling
US: UPS Ground, $10/publication
Canada: UPS Ground, $15/per publication
International and Rush Orders: Call 301-362-8196 or email arl@brightkey.net for a quote.
Payment by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa is accepted. Make check or money order payable in US funds to Association of Research Libraries, Federal #ID 52-0784198-N.
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise, promotes equity and diversity, and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.
