Just Released: The State of U.S. Academic Libraries: Findings from the ACRL 2023 Annual Survey

From ACRL:

This report focuses on U.S. academic libraries and the results reflect the 1,414 responding institutions in 2023. Key findings include:

• The average full-time equivalent (FTE) library staff is 36.2 and the median is 15.7. Doctoral universities have much higher staffing levels than all other types. Associate’s colleges and two year institutions have the highest ratio of students to staff.
• In 2023, total expenditures excluding fringe benefits reached an average of almost four million and the median reported was $1.1 million. Adjusted for inflation, this represents a slight increase from 2022, but expenditures remain below pre-pandemic levels.
• Digital materials continue to account for a significant proportion of library circulation, at 98.4% of the total reported. These materials come at significant cost: ongoing commitments to subscriptions account for 34.9% of total library expenditures.
• Library instruction shows signs of recovery from pandemic lows. The reported average number of annual presentations to groups and average total attendance at those presentations have increased over the last three years, though still lagging relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Direct to Full Text Report
20 pages; PDF. 

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