Primary Research Group Inc., has published
the Survey of Academic Library Plans for the Print Materials Collection, 2018
Edition, ISBN 978-1-57440-482-1
This report, based on data from 49 colleges
and universities in the USA and Canada, looks closely at academic library plans
for print versions of journals, books, newspapers and magazines, directories
and maps, drawings, photographs and other materials.
The study finds that libraries are
shrinking their book collections and that spending on print book collections is
declining. Nonetheless, close to 40% of survey participants felt insecure about
the perpetual access policies of major eBook vendors, a factor limiting
declines in print book collections.
The 97-page study also reports on trends
and gives data on spending on print journal subscriptions without online
access, spending on print directories, maps, newspapers and magazines and other
items. Libraries also discuss how they make their culling decisions, whom they
consult, how they survey their user base and what their plans are for their
print collections in the near future.
Just a few of the report’s many findings
are that:
Libraries sampled spent an average of
$266,131 on print books in 2017, a figure that was down from the total in 2016
by approximately 4%.
Private colleges are willing to spend
nearly 50% more than public colleges to retain print copies of journals with
on-line subscriptions.
28.57% of public colleges in the sample
have phased out print subscriptions to newspapers and magazines.
Data in the report is broken out for public
and private colleges, by level of tuition, enrollment level and institutional
type. For a table of contents, excerpt
and list of participants – or to place an order -- view the product page for
this report at: https://www.primaryresearch.com/AddCart.aspx?ReportID=463
Or call us at 212-736-2316. Or view our general website at
www.PrimaryResearch.com.