ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Fast facts

Ann Viles

Mean hourly earnings for librarians

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey, the mean hourly wages for librarians in 1999 was $22.01. The mean hourly earnings for library clerks was $10.87.

U. S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, 1999. July 2001. http://www.bls.gov/special.requests/ocwc/oclt/ncsocs/ncs/ncbl0343.pdf. Aug. 12,2001

IMLS funds library education

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded “nearly $2 million to universities and colleges to recruit and educate students in library and information science.”

"IMLS Responds to Nation's Shortage of Librarians: Funds Recruitment, Education and Technology Training," Institute of Museum and Library Services, http://www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/071701-1.htm July 29, 2001

Business-related Web queries

A study of Web searches submitted to the search engines Excite and Ask Jeeves in December 1999 found that “approximately one in six Excite queries (approx 12%) and one in twelve Ask Jeeves queries (approx 6%) were business-related.” In seven out of ten of the business-related Excite searches, users viewed only the first two screens of results. Forty-two percent of the business-related searches in Excite included names of companies, products, industries, or associations. More than 88% of the business-related searches in Ask Jeeves began with the question, “Where can I buy?”

Amanda Spink and Okan Gunar, "E-Commerce Web Queries: Excite and Ask Jeeves Study," First Mondays, no. 7 (July 2, 2001). http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_7/spink/. July 31, 2001

Increased expenditures in ARL libraries

According to statistics gathered by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), all but four university research libraries in the United States and Canada increased total expenditures from 1994-1995 to 1999-2000. Five ARL Libraries increased total expenditures by more than 50% during this period: Washington University in St. Louis (+50.1%), University of Utah (+50.7%), University of Connecticut (+51.6%), North Carolina State University (+64.1%), and Rice University (+109.8%).

Holdings of University Research Libraries in U.S. and Canada, 1999-2000," The Chronicle of Higher Education; June 22, 2001: A20

Usage changes in the British Library

Searches on the British Library’s online catalog increased by 24% from 1999- 2000 to 2000-2001. Reference inquiries decreased by more than 14% from 604,432 to 516,231.

British Library, Annual Report and Accounts 2000-01. http://www.bl.uk/information/ar0001/. July 31, 2001

Stolen library books worth one million pounds

Lauren Hardman, head of security at the Association of Antiquarian Booksellers, estimates the total value of rare books stolen from libraries during the last year to be about one million pounds.

Chris Gray, "Bodleian Book Theft 'Part' of Pounds 3BN Business," The Independent (London), July 28, 2001. LEXIS NEXIS Academic Universe. Aug. 1, 2001

Ann Viles is coordinator of reference and instruction at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, e-mail: vilesea@conrad.appstate.edu