64 · ARL Statistics 2007–2008
Analysis of Selected Variables of University Libraries, 2007–2008
The percentages and ratios below are select indicators that describe the condition of ARL university libraries. The high
and low figures indicate the range, while the mean and median indicate the central tendency of the distributions for
ARL university libraries. Note that a distribution is normal when the mean and the median figures are identical. If the
mean is larger than the median then the distribution is positively skewed, and if the opposite is true the distribution is
negatively skewed.
Category High Mean Median Low Number of
Libraries
Reporting
Professional Staff as a percent of Total Staff 61.22 32.87 31.16 19.72 113
Support Staff as a percent of Total Staff 71.50 46.33 46.50 12.68 113
Student Assistant Staff as a percent of Total Staff 67.61 20.99 20.65 0.47 112
Ratio of Professional to Support Staff (excluding Student
Assistant Staff)
3.46 0.79 0.67 0.35 113
Ratio of Items Loaned to Items Borrowed 6.23 1.42 1.25 0.20 113
Serials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures
90.92 68.04 69.75 16.67 113
Monograph Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Materials Expenditures
43.44 21.76 20.59 5.92 113
Total Library Materials Expenditures as a percent of Total
Library Expenditures
65.31 43.05 43.10 25.59 113
Contract Binding as a percent of Total Library Expenditures 1.86 0.56 0.51 0.02 112
Salary &Wages Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures
60.20 44.53 44.48 29.09 113
Other Operating Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures
27.30 11.87 11.11 0.62 113
Unit costs of Monographs (per volume) 117.04 59.81 59.00 13.02 104
Unit costs of Serials (per title) 455.08 177.59 160.11 53.73 107
Library Expenditures per Faculty 55,054.07 18,165.07 16,395.68 7,066.98 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Student 7,225.89 1,365.22 1,028.28 467.61 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Graduate Student 19,083.87 5,671.21 5,168.77 2,436.36 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time User 6,216.23 1,253.63 957.08 442.81 113
Library Expenditures per User 6,131.54 1,050.02 802.35 371.97 112
Library Expenditures per PhD Awarded 339,587.55 95,564.59 80,789.74 21,807.01 112
Library Staff per PhD Awarded 4.79 1.06 0.90 0.26 112
Professional Library Staff per PhD Awarded 1.50 0.34 0.29 0.09 112
Analysis of Selected Variables of University Libraries, 2007–2008
The percentages and ratios below are select indicators that describe the condition of ARL university libraries. The high
and low figures indicate the range, while the mean and median indicate the central tendency of the distributions for
ARL university libraries. Note that a distribution is normal when the mean and the median figures are identical. If the
mean is larger than the median then the distribution is positively skewed, and if the opposite is true the distribution is
negatively skewed.
Category High Mean Median Low Number of
Libraries
Reporting
Professional Staff as a percent of Total Staff 61.22 32.87 31.16 19.72 113
Support Staff as a percent of Total Staff 71.50 46.33 46.50 12.68 113
Student Assistant Staff as a percent of Total Staff 67.61 20.99 20.65 0.47 112
Ratio of Professional to Support Staff (excluding Student
Assistant Staff)
3.46 0.79 0.67 0.35 113
Ratio of Items Loaned to Items Borrowed 6.23 1.42 1.25 0.20 113
Serials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures
90.92 68.04 69.75 16.67 113
Monograph Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Materials Expenditures
43.44 21.76 20.59 5.92 113
Total Library Materials Expenditures as a percent of Total
Library Expenditures
65.31 43.05 43.10 25.59 113
Contract Binding as a percent of Total Library Expenditures 1.86 0.56 0.51 0.02 112
Salary &Wages Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures
60.20 44.53 44.48 29.09 113
Other Operating Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures
27.30 11.87 11.11 0.62 113
Unit costs of Monographs (per volume) 117.04 59.81 59.00 13.02 104
Unit costs of Serials (per title) 455.08 177.59 160.11 53.73 107
Library Expenditures per Faculty 55,054.07 18,165.07 16,395.68 7,066.98 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Student 7,225.89 1,365.22 1,028.28 467.61 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Graduate Student 19,083.87 5,671.21 5,168.77 2,436.36 113
Library Expenditures per Full-Time User 6,216.23 1,253.63 957.08 442.81 113
Library Expenditures per User 6,131.54 1,050.02 802.35 371.97 112
Library Expenditures per PhD Awarded 339,587.55 95,564.59 80,789.74 21,807.01 112
Library Staff per PhD Awarded 4.79 1.06 0.90 0.26 112
Professional Library Staff per PhD Awarded 1.50 0.34 0.29 0.09 112
