98 · ARL Statistics 2008–2009
typically the unit used to charge circulation transactions. Either a serial volume is bound, or it
comprises the serial issues that would be bound together if the library bound all serials.
Include duplicates and bound volumes of periodicals. For purposes of this questionnaire, unclassified bound serials arranged in
alphabetical order are considered classified. Exclude microforms, maps, nonprint materials, and uncataloged items. If any of these
items cannot be excluded, please provide an explanatory footnote
Include government document volumes that are accessible through the library’s catalogs regardless of whether they are separately
shelved. “Classified” includes documents arranged by Superintendent of Documents, CODOC, or similar numbers. “Cataloged”
includes documents for which records are provided by the library or downloaded from other sources into the library’s card or
online catalogs. Documents should, to the extent possible, be counted as they would if they were in bound volumes (e.g., 12 issues
of an annual serial would be one or two volumes). Title and piece counts should not be considered the same as volume counts. If a
volume count has not been kept, it may be estimated through sampling a representative group of title records and determining the
corresponding number of volumes, then extrapolating to the rest of the collection. As an alternative, an estimate may be made using
the following formulae:
52 documents pieces per foot
10 “traditional” volumes per foot
5.2 documents pieces per volume
Include e-book units, as long as these e-books are owned or leased and have been cataloged by your library. Include electronic books
purchased through vendors such as NetLibrary® or Books 24x7, and e-books that come as part of aggregate services. Include
individual titles of e-book sets that are treated as individual reference sources. Include locally digitized electronic books and
electronic theses and dissertations. Provide a footnote explaining how many e-books you are reporting, preferably by specifying the
products and the number of titles in a note.
Include volumes purchased collectively where the cost is shared at the time of purchase.
If either formulas or sampling are used for deriving your count, please indicate in a footnote.
Question 1b. Volumes Added. Include only volumes cataloged, classified, and made ready for use. Include government
documents if they have been included in the count of volumes on line 1a. Do not include as part of Volumes Added Gross any
government documents or other collections (such as large gift collections or e-book packages, EBBO, etc.) that were added to the
collection as the result of a one time download or addition to the OPAC. Include these items in Volumes Held of the previous year
(Line 1a) and provide a footnote explaining the revision of Line 1a.
Question 2. Titles Held. Use the ANSI/NISO Z39.7-2004 definition for title as follows:
The designation of a separate bibliographic whole, whether issued in one or several volumes
…. Titles are defined according to the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. A book or serial title
may be distinguished from other such titles by its unique International Standard Book Number
(ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). This definition applies equally to print,
audiovisual, and other library materials. For unpublished works, the term is used to designate
a manuscript collection or an archival record series. Two subscriptions to Science magazine,
for example, are counted as one title. When vertical file materials are counted, a file folder is
considered a title.
typically the unit used to charge circulation transactions. Either a serial volume is bound, or it
comprises the serial issues that would be bound together if the library bound all serials.
Include duplicates and bound volumes of periodicals. For purposes of this questionnaire, unclassified bound serials arranged in
alphabetical order are considered classified. Exclude microforms, maps, nonprint materials, and uncataloged items. If any of these
items cannot be excluded, please provide an explanatory footnote
Include government document volumes that are accessible through the library’s catalogs regardless of whether they are separately
shelved. “Classified” includes documents arranged by Superintendent of Documents, CODOC, or similar numbers. “Cataloged”
includes documents for which records are provided by the library or downloaded from other sources into the library’s card or
online catalogs. Documents should, to the extent possible, be counted as they would if they were in bound volumes (e.g., 12 issues
of an annual serial would be one or two volumes). Title and piece counts should not be considered the same as volume counts. If a
volume count has not been kept, it may be estimated through sampling a representative group of title records and determining the
corresponding number of volumes, then extrapolating to the rest of the collection. As an alternative, an estimate may be made using
the following formulae:
52 documents pieces per foot
10 “traditional” volumes per foot
5.2 documents pieces per volume
Include e-book units, as long as these e-books are owned or leased and have been cataloged by your library. Include electronic books
purchased through vendors such as NetLibrary® or Books 24x7, and e-books that come as part of aggregate services. Include
individual titles of e-book sets that are treated as individual reference sources. Include locally digitized electronic books and
electronic theses and dissertations. Provide a footnote explaining how many e-books you are reporting, preferably by specifying the
products and the number of titles in a note.
Include volumes purchased collectively where the cost is shared at the time of purchase.
If either formulas or sampling are used for deriving your count, please indicate in a footnote.
Question 1b. Volumes Added. Include only volumes cataloged, classified, and made ready for use. Include government
documents if they have been included in the count of volumes on line 1a. Do not include as part of Volumes Added Gross any
government documents or other collections (such as large gift collections or e-book packages, EBBO, etc.) that were added to the
collection as the result of a one time download or addition to the OPAC. Include these items in Volumes Held of the previous year
(Line 1a) and provide a footnote explaining the revision of Line 1a.
Question 2. Titles Held. Use the ANSI/NISO Z39.7-2004 definition for title as follows:
The designation of a separate bibliographic whole, whether issued in one or several volumes
…. Titles are defined according to the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. A book or serial title
may be distinguished from other such titles by its unique International Standard Book Number
(ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). This definition applies equally to print,
audiovisual, and other library materials. For unpublished works, the term is used to designate
a manuscript collection or an archival record series. Two subscriptions to Science magazine,
for example, are counted as one title. When vertical file materials are counted, a file folder is
considered a title.
