The authors generated data visualizations to compare sections of the library book collection, expenditures in those areas, student enrollment in majors and minors, and number of courses. The visualizations resulting from the entered data provide an excellent starting point for conversations about possible imbalances in the collection and point to…

This study analyzed the relationships between variables of institutional expenses, library expenses, and library use and variables representing graduation and retention rates for colleges and universities. Using data drawn from the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System and the Academic Library Survey, institutions were compared by their…

This study compares the overall spending trends and patterns of growth of Academic Libraries with Public Libraries, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and hospitals in the period of 1998 to 2008. Academic Libraries, while showing a growth of 13% over inflation for the period, far underperformed the growth of the other public institutions…

Public library statistical data for the state of Colorado is presented in tabular form for seven general interest areas: per capita circulation, per capita volumes available, salaries as a percent of total expense, library material as a percent of total expense, income from local sources as a percent of total income, income from the state as a…

This evaluation of the Leddy Library's experiment with separate approval plans and different vendors for political science, psychology, and economics discusses and compares their performance in profiling, discounts, delivery, response to changing needs, stock/warehousing to support shipping, communications, returns, notification slip service, and…

Compares 48 features of four versions of the ERIC database, two commercial (SilverPlatter, FirstSearch) and two free (AskERIC.org, SeachERIC.org), to determine whether features of the commercial versions were worth the cost to academic libraries. Reports results of a survey that investigated user preferences, and concludes that value added…

Analyses of the relationship between costs and output in more than 3,000 United States academic libraries show that average costs rise more rapidly than output for all types of libraries except two-year private colleges. Major differences in workload and expenditures were found between two-year and four-year public and private institutions. (EJS)

Discusses public library revenues as a reflection of the general economic cycle during the 1980s. Public library expenditures and total local government expenditures from 1966 to 1990 are examined; percentage increases in library spending are compared with other specific city and county expenditures; and academic versus public library funding is…

Discusses the economics and value of information and describes a study that compared an objective measure, the estimated direct costs to a library to purchase materials or provide services used by specific users, with a subjective measure, exchange values those users would pay for the information. (LRW)

Describes results of a survey that was conducted to compile statistical data on collection growth and library expenditures in academic libraries. Data from liberal arts college libraries are compared with data from members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), library statistics are discussed, and significant trends are described. (32…

Discussion of operational effectiveness in libraries focuses on a modeling approach that was used to compare the effectiveness of a local interlibrary loan system with using a national system, the British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC). Cost figures and surveys of five academic libraries are described. (six references) (LRW)

Information on the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) data survey is presented, along with a quantitative index for the university libraries of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Ten quantitative measures of holdings, expenditures, and staff size for the AAU libraries from the 1981-1982 annual ARL survey are converted to an index…

Examination of whether annual book budgets have kept pace with demands compares academic library book budgets in Germany and the United States in the mid-20th century with budgets of earlier years, taking into account annual book and serial production; costs of books; and the number of courses, faculty, and students. (Author/CLB)

This article advances hypothesis that current university library book expenditures are no greater than past expenditures and explores six methodological questions involved in testing the hypothesis. A comparative study of German university libraries in 1860 and 1960 and American unversity libraries in 1910 and 1960 is presented. References are…

Compares the costs and benefits of periodical ownership against online access of a full-text periodicals database in one academic library. A full-text database allows the library to offer more than twice as many journals as it does currently for a 15% increase in expenditures. Two tables show comparisons. (Author/AEF)