64 · ARL Statistics 2008–2009
Analysis of Selected Variables of University Libraries, 2008–2009
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 59.72 33.64 32.45 20.12 114
Support Staff as a percent of Total Staff 71.30 45.86 45.94 14.97 114
Student Assistant Staff as a percent of Total Staff 53.05 20.50 20.91 0.46 114
Ratio of Professional to Support Staff (excluding Student Assistant
Staff) 3.31 0.81 0.70 0.38 114
Ratio of Items Loaned to Items Borrowed 5.18 1.38 1.18 0.23 114
Serials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures 91.83 69.58 72.49 14.50 113
Monograph Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures 40.54 19.78 18.74 4.34 113
Total Library Materials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 64.39 43.54 43.69 26.78 114
Contract Binding as a percent of Total Library Expenditures 2.04 0.48 0.44 0.04 114
Salary &Wages Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 59.01 45.07 45.24 29.34 114
Other Operating Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 23.46 10.91 10.59 2.86 114
Unit costs of Monographs (per volume) 125.87 56.51 54.70 3.07 106
Unit costs of Serials (per title) 443.38 161.95 141.90 49.75 108
Library Expenditures per Faculty 56,699.00 17,907.26 15,562.90 6,325.90 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Student 7,872.43 1,349.38 981.81 381.48 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Graduate Student 19,239.39 5,525.60 4,787.41 2,012.81 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time User 6,525.51 1,236.12 921.35 360.36 114
Library Expenditures per User 6,455.89 1,078.40 766.17 317.31 114
Library Expenditures per PhD Awarded 349,926.38 91,501.96 79,932.78 24,839.20 111
Library Staff per PhD Awarded 5.32 0.98 0.84 0.25 111
Professional Library Staff per PhD Awarded 1.70 0.33 0.28 0.09 111
Analysis of Selected Variables of University Libraries, 2008–2009
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 59.72 33.64 32.45 20.12 114
Support Staff as a percent of Total Staff 71.30 45.86 45.94 14.97 114
Student Assistant Staff as a percent of Total Staff 53.05 20.50 20.91 0.46 114
Ratio of Professional to Support Staff (excluding Student Assistant
Staff) 3.31 0.81 0.70 0.38 114
Ratio of Items Loaned to Items Borrowed 5.18 1.38 1.18 0.23 114
Serials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures 91.83 69.58 72.49 14.50 113
Monograph Expenditures as a percent of Total Library Materials
Expenditures 40.54 19.78 18.74 4.34 113
Total Library Materials Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 64.39 43.54 43.69 26.78 114
Contract Binding as a percent of Total Library Expenditures 2.04 0.48 0.44 0.04 114
Salary &Wages Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 59.01 45.07 45.24 29.34 114
Other Operating Expenditures as a percent of Total Library
Expenditures 23.46 10.91 10.59 2.86 114
Unit costs of Monographs (per volume) 125.87 56.51 54.70 3.07 106
Unit costs of Serials (per title) 443.38 161.95 141.90 49.75 108
Library Expenditures per Faculty 56,699.00 17,907.26 15,562.90 6,325.90 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Student 7,872.43 1,349.38 981.81 381.48 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time Graduate Student 19,239.39 5,525.60 4,787.41 2,012.81 114
Library Expenditures per Full-Time User 6,525.51 1,236.12 921.35 360.36 114
Library Expenditures per User 6,455.89 1,078.40 766.17 317.31 114
Library Expenditures per PhD Awarded 349,926.38 91,501.96 79,932.78 24,839.20 111
Library Staff per PhD Awarded 5.32 0.98 0.84 0.25 111
Professional Library Staff per PhD Awarded 1.70 0.33 0.28 0.09 111
