Status of Academic Libraries in 2008

This report summarizes services, staff, collections, and expenditures of academic libraries in two- and four-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States. The nation’s 3,827 academic libraries held 1,052,531,290 books, serial backfiles, and other paper materials, including government documents at the end of FY 2008. There were 138.1 million circulation transactions from their general collections. About 22 million documents were lent or borrowed from other libraries and commercial services. The libraries employed 93,438 full-time equivalent staff. Two hundred and twenty-six academic libraries held 1 million or more books, serial backfiles, and documents. In 2008, academic libraries’ expenditures totaled $6.8 billion.

Phan, T., Hardesty, L., Sheckells, C., & Davis, D. (2009). Academic libraries: 2008 – First look. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507415.pdf