Library Statistics
Library Fact Sheets
The ALA Library responds to inquiries from staff and members, plus others interested in, or research libraries. Here are the ALA Library Fact Sheets that provide a guide to sources for specific types of statistics about libraries in the United States.
Library Operating Expenditures: A Selected Annotated Bibliography (ALA Library Fact Sheet 4)
A selective listing of resources for determining the costs of running various types of libraries.
The Nation's Largest Libraries (ALA Library Fact Sheet 22)
A tally of the 100 largest libraries in the United States, in order by size of each library's collection, with source of the data provided.
Number of Libraries in the United States (ALA Library Fact Sheet 1)
There are over 120,000 libraries of all kinds in the United States today. No annual survey provides statistics on all types of libraries.
Number Employed in Libraries (ALA Library Fact Sheet 2)
The library work force includes librarians and other professionals, paraprofessionals, clerical and technical personnel. Statistics are not available for each category of personnel in each type of library. Instead this fact sheet summarizes the latest available statistics on the two major categories -- librarians and other professionals, and other paid staff -- in the three types of libraries for which reliable national figures are available
Research on Libraries and Librarianship: Yearly Article in The Bowker Annual
2008 (pdf)
2007 (pdf)
2006 (pdf)
2005 (pdf)
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
Historical Library Studies
Bibliographic Guide to a Chronological Record of Statistics of a National Scope on Libraries in the United States by Robert V. Williams, Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Univ. of South Carolina, School of Library and Information Science
This guide identifies, describes, and provides bibliographic information on all compilations of statistical information about libraries of all types in the United States from 1829-1999.
Return on Investment
Listing of Research Related to Library Value (Return on Investment) (Revised May 2009)
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