12
Table 2
Median Monograph and Serial Costs in ARL Libraries, 1986‐2006
Median Values for Time‐Series Trends20
Year Serial
Unit Cost
Serial
Expenditures
Monograph
Unit Cost
Monograph
Expenditures
Serials
Purchased
Monographs
Purchased
(Libraries) (36) (100) (57) (97) (36) (58)
1986 $89.81 $1,496,775 $29.28 $1,120,645 15,775 32,679
1987 $108.12 $1,769,960 $31.76 $1,064,484 16,514 26,240
1988 $117.41 $1,947,559 $36.03 $1,141,226 15,948 25,238
1989 $129.95 $2,113,976 $38.44 $1,106,073 15,983 27,082
1990 $135.61 $2,296,910 $41.44 $1,330,747 16,128 27,546
1991 $153.46 $2,548,687 $42.60 $1,400,738 15,962 27,843
1992 $173.69 $2,620,832 $44.14 $1,353,865 15,673 26,947
1993 $188.79 $2,918,569 $43.74 $1,295,807 15,441 25,188
1994 $203.87 $2,912,495 $44.72 $1,309,807 15,099 25,341
1995 $217.38 $3,131,033 $45.27 $1,365,575 14,320 25,707
1996 $223.98 $3,389,118 $46.73 $1,444,015 14,723 25,911
1997 $250.74 $3,642,541 $46.42 $1,460,234 14,820 28,576
1998 $252.28 $3,816,497 $47.59 $1,486,764 14,063 24,447
1999 $271.51 $4,095,934 $47.78 $1,506,651 14,192 25,173
2000 $310.62 $4,430,812 $47.87 $1,657,349 14,541 28,024
2001 $279.07 $4,660,349 $48.48 $1,864,023 13,682 30,494
2002 $289.84 $4,939,225 $50.61 $1,812,826 17,594 31,578
2003 $282.20 $5,392,007 $52.83 $1,873,157 18,115 33,208
2004 $256.01 $5,580,157 $51.36 $1,839,412 22,311 30,155
2005 $239.58 $5,962,446 $53.57 $1,784,841 22,404 30,546
2006 $251.38 $6,307,292 $52.04 $2,044,272 23,849 33,145
Avg annual
%change
5.3% 7.5% 2.9% 3.1% 2.1% 0.1%
Serial unit costs have been increasing much faster than inflation for almost two decades, as is
detailed in Table 2 and Graph 2. For the third year in a row, the unit cost of serials declined and more
and more serial subscriptions became available to libraries.
In informal conversations held with some ARL libraries, it seems that the inclusion of electronic
serials in the counts of serial subscriptions purchased caused an increase in purchased serials—often, for
a relatively small addition to the base subscription price, some publishers provide access to electronic
resources for an additional 10 or 20% surcharge. Such arrangements played a role in the revision of the
serial‐counting practices in the ARL Statistics (see “From Serial Subscriptions to Serial Titles,” above).
20 Time series for Serials Expenditures, Monograph Expenditures, Monographs Purchased, and Monograph Unit cost were
revised due to unavailable data.
Table 2
Median Monograph and Serial Costs in ARL Libraries, 1986‐2006
Median Values for Time‐Series Trends20
Year Serial
Unit Cost
Serial
Expenditures
Monograph
Unit Cost
Monograph
Expenditures
Serials
Purchased
Monographs
Purchased
(Libraries) (36) (100) (57) (97) (36) (58)
1986 $89.81 $1,496,775 $29.28 $1,120,645 15,775 32,679
1987 $108.12 $1,769,960 $31.76 $1,064,484 16,514 26,240
1988 $117.41 $1,947,559 $36.03 $1,141,226 15,948 25,238
1989 $129.95 $2,113,976 $38.44 $1,106,073 15,983 27,082
1990 $135.61 $2,296,910 $41.44 $1,330,747 16,128 27,546
1991 $153.46 $2,548,687 $42.60 $1,400,738 15,962 27,843
1992 $173.69 $2,620,832 $44.14 $1,353,865 15,673 26,947
1993 $188.79 $2,918,569 $43.74 $1,295,807 15,441 25,188
1994 $203.87 $2,912,495 $44.72 $1,309,807 15,099 25,341
1995 $217.38 $3,131,033 $45.27 $1,365,575 14,320 25,707
1996 $223.98 $3,389,118 $46.73 $1,444,015 14,723 25,911
1997 $250.74 $3,642,541 $46.42 $1,460,234 14,820 28,576
1998 $252.28 $3,816,497 $47.59 $1,486,764 14,063 24,447
1999 $271.51 $4,095,934 $47.78 $1,506,651 14,192 25,173
2000 $310.62 $4,430,812 $47.87 $1,657,349 14,541 28,024
2001 $279.07 $4,660,349 $48.48 $1,864,023 13,682 30,494
2002 $289.84 $4,939,225 $50.61 $1,812,826 17,594 31,578
2003 $282.20 $5,392,007 $52.83 $1,873,157 18,115 33,208
2004 $256.01 $5,580,157 $51.36 $1,839,412 22,311 30,155
2005 $239.58 $5,962,446 $53.57 $1,784,841 22,404 30,546
2006 $251.38 $6,307,292 $52.04 $2,044,272 23,849 33,145
Avg annual
%change
5.3% 7.5% 2.9% 3.1% 2.1% 0.1%
Serial unit costs have been increasing much faster than inflation for almost two decades, as is
detailed in Table 2 and Graph 2. For the third year in a row, the unit cost of serials declined and more
and more serial subscriptions became available to libraries.
In informal conversations held with some ARL libraries, it seems that the inclusion of electronic
serials in the counts of serial subscriptions purchased caused an increase in purchased serials—often, for
a relatively small addition to the base subscription price, some publishers provide access to electronic
resources for an additional 10 or 20% surcharge. Such arrangements played a role in the revision of the
serial‐counting practices in the ARL Statistics (see “From Serial Subscriptions to Serial Titles,” above).
20 Time series for Serials Expenditures, Monograph Expenditures, Monographs Purchased, and Monograph Unit cost were
revised due to unavailable data.
