IPEDS Academic Libraries Survey Introduction
The purpose of the Academic Libraries Survey (ALS) is to collect information on library resources, services, and expenditures from academic libraries serving degree-granting, Title IV postsecondary institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas. Since 2014, the report is collected annually. All of the data reported in IPEDS is also included in ACRL, so there is duplication in data reporting.
Reporting Period: September-August (pull data on September 1)
Data Collection Period: September-April
Due: April
IPEDS Historical Data and Reports
Below are statistics reported for the last three years and official IPEDS summaries going back to 2016.
NOTE: IPEDS references the time period as the collection period, but the data is for the previous academic year. For example, the 2019-2020 report reflects the statistics for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 and collections as they were on or around September 1, 2019.
| Reporting Period | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Period | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 |
| Physical Collections: Books (title count) | 511,935 | 509,882 | 496,571 |
| Physical Collections: Media | 24,925 | 19,974 | 19,985 |
| Physical Collections: Serials | 14,738 | 9,326 | 9,132 |
| Physical Collections: Circulation | 21,370 | 20,996 | 3,870 |
| Electronic Collections: Books | 546,403 | 570,209 | 715,383 |
| Electronic Collections: Databases | 366 | 930 | 850 |
| Electronic Collections: Media | 103,113 | 178,488 | 99,551 |
| Electronic Collections: Serials | 144,604 | 112,616 | 136,564 |
| Electronic Collections: Circulation | 21,005 | 563,174 | 945,472 |
| ILL Provided | 4,015 | 3,461 | 2,654 |
| ILL Received | 3,045 | 2,623 | 1,990 |
| Branches | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Salaries & Wages | 2,648,268 | 2,558,930 | 2,525,198 |
| Fringe Benefits | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Materials: One-time purchases | 232,758 | 149,171 | 197,805 |
| Materials: Ongoing commitments | 3,338,435 | 4,185,782 | 4,715,906 |
| Materials: Other materials/Services costs | 41,008 | 221,587 | 100,767 |
| Total Materials/Services | 3,612,201 | 4,556,540 | 5,014,478 |
| Operations: Preservation services | 11,930 | 4,162 | 58,691 |
| Operations: Other operations and maintenance expenses | 1,107,755 | 741,111 | 941,422 |
| Total Operations | 1,119,685 | 745,273 | 1,000,113 |
| Total Expenses | 7,380,154 | 7,860,743 | 8,539,789 |
| Prepared By | SB and CR | C. Roush | C. Roush |
| Number of Staff Involved | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Number of Hours Collecting Data (Total of Your Office & Other Offices) | 19 | 20 | 60 |
