Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey (ACRL)

The ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey is administered by the ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board and is designed to gather information at the national level from all types of academic libraries. It is the largest survey of academic libraries in the country and therefore provides one of the most comprehensive portraits of the impact that academic libraries have across the U.S.

The ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey is composed of three parts:

● Questions from the IPEDS Academic Libraries Component. Every institution of higher education receiving federal funding must respond to the IPEDS survey. The ACRL survey asks every library question required by IPEDS, with instructions and definitions completely aligned since 2015. ACRL survey results are available quickly: typically three months after the survey closes.

● Selected questions about academic libraries not included in IPEDS, several of which IPEDS uses as test questions for future surveys.

● A section of questions about library trends; every year features a different topic. In 2018, we are asking questions about library contributions to student success.

Where will the reported data appear?

Data collected through the ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey will be available at the institution and aggregated levels. Full access to all 2018 results will be available within a few months after the survey closes through a subscription to ACRL Metrics (an online database). Results are also published in the 2018 print edition of ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics (available four months after the survey closes). Aggregate survey results are available to all participating libraries via ACRLMetrics within a few months of the submission deadline.

Why should my library participate in this survey?

At the very least, every academic library which submits data to IPEDS as part of their federal requirement should submit the same data to ACRL. ACRL members recommend completing the ACRL survey first, because, after completion, respondents are offered a .txt file which can then be used to upload the required IPEDS responses (excluding annotations) by any authorized institutional keyholder which may include a library staff member designated by the campus keyholder. This feature makes submitting IPEDS statistics straightforward and fast.

Moreover, the ACRL survey is the largest of its kind, offering the best picture of the impact academic libraries in the U.S. have through their staffing, teaching, collections, and beyond. Collecting these data systematically and thoroughly ensures that we, as academic librarians, have a national overview of the overall resources, investments, and contributions we make and allows us to benchmark more widely, track new trends, demonstrate our value, and make data-informed decisions in a timely way. The survey questions are shaped by respondents from every type of library: ACRL needs and welcomes your suggestions.