ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Fast facts

Ann Viles

→ Periodical prices

The 2001 U.S. Periodical Price Index, sponsored for the 4lst time by the Library Materials Price Index Committee of ALA’s Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, reported the average price per title, excluding the most expensive category—Russian translations—“rose from $241.54 to $261.56, which represents an 8.3% rate of increase, down 0.7 of a percentage point from last year. The rate has been very similar over the past four years with 9.9% and 10.3% increases posted in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and 10.4% and 9.0% in 1999 and 2000.”

Barbara Albee and Brenda Dingley, "U.S. Periodical Prices—2001," American Libraries 32 (May 2001): 72 -78.

→ Education industry revenues

Eduventures.corn’s annual education industry report indicates a 2.6 percent increase to $102 billion in 2001. The pre-K-12 market accounted for $58 billion, corporate and professional education for $27.4 billion, and postsecondary, ranking third, for $16.5 billion.

"2001 Industry Revenues Reach $102 Billion: Eduventures to Release Annual Education Industry Markets & Opportunities Report," Eduventures.com, June 2002. http://www.eduventures.com/news/news-home.cfm. June 4, 2002

→ Library use in UK

According to a recently released study by the Audit Commission, visits to UK libraries dropped to 290 million in 2000-01, a decline of 17 percent since 1992- 93- Circulation has dropped by 23 percent during the last three years.

Building Better Library Services,The Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the NHS of England and Wales, May 2002. http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/publications/lfair_libraries.shtml. May 29, 2002

→ British reading habits

A recent study of British reading habits, conducted by Book Marketing Limited for the Orange Prize for Fiction, asked adults who read for pleasure to keep a diary of their reading for a period of three months. Respondents reported reading an average of 6 hours weekly, including 77 minutes reading fiction books, 17 minutes reading “reference books (e.g., cookery, gardening),” and 41 minutes reading “non-fiction books (e.g., history, biography).’’

The Reading Habits of Individuals & Couples: Report on a Panel Study.Book Marketing Limited, May 2002. http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/research/research_report_2002.pdf. June 3, 2002

→ Internet health information seekers

Recent surveys of “health seekers” for the Pew Internet Project found that only about one quarter of the “62% of Internet users, or 73 million people in the United States, [who] have gone online in search of health information . . . follow the recommended protocol on thoroughly checking the source and timeliness of information and are vigilant about verifying a site’s information every time they search for health information.”

Vital Decisions: How Internet Users Decide What Information to Trust When They or Their Loved Ones Are Sick,Pew Internet & American Life Project, May 22, 2002. http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/ toc.asp?Report=59

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