As I was reviewing recent government statistics, I couldn't help feel
some alarm to find that library expenditures in higher education
are no longer included in the summary tables of the DIGEST OF
EDUCATION STATISTICS after 1999:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d03/tables/dt348.asp
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d03/tables/dt347.asp
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d03/tables/dt422.asp
The libraries' percentage of expenditures 1980-81 to 1998-99
dropped from 2.81% to 2.2%, then dropped 'off the map.'
Not so long ago, the standard for academic libraries called for
devoting 6% to libraries.*
I have to wonder what the lobbyists at ALA, ARL, ACRL, etc. have to say.
Best wishes,
Albert Henderson
Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
Contributor HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES. AN ENCYCLOPEDIA
(ABC-CLIO 2002)
*Association of College and Research Libraries [ACRL]. (1995) Standards for
college libraries. College & Research Libraries News. 56 (April) 245-57.
Calls
for library's annual authorized expenditures to be at least 6% of the total
institutional expenditure for educational and general purposes.