For Immediate Release
Research Library Spending on Electronic Serials Up Nearly 40%
OTTAWA (January 15, 2004)
Spending on electronic serials by Canada’s research libraries rose from an average of $1.01 million in 2000-2001 to $1.40 million in 2001-2002 – a remarkable increase of 38.6%.
The University of Waterloo led the charge, for the first time spending more on electronic serials than print ones.
“This is a remarkable shift in expenditure patterns when one considers a few years ago, CARL libraries spent next to nothing on this category of material,” says Dr. David Holmes, former Director of Institutional Research and Planning, Carleton University and the author of the Commentary of the recently released annual CARL Statistiques/Statistics 2001-2002. “Altogether the 26 reporting libraries spent an impressive $36.53 million on electronic serials.”
The shift is an important indication of how researchers are increasingly expecting and finding their information online.
The shift has been enabled in part by the effective use of information technology by Canada’s research libraries.
The Statistics detail Expenditures, Establishment and Collection Size as well as salary information.. Supplementary Statistics include information on Service hours, Library instruction and Facilities). Tables on Emerging Services, and Document Delivery are also included.
The 29 CARL member libraries spent $211,180,000 on materials in 2001-2002. They hold over 76 million monographs and subscribe to nearly 570,000 journals.
“The CARL Statistics represent the best available data for making comparisons between Canadian research libraries” stated Ms. Lynn Copeland, Chair of the CARL Standing Committee on Effectiveness Measures and Statistics. “Accurate comparisons may be made between one library and another especially when compared to overall university expenditures or student enrolments”
CARL is the leadership organization for the Canadian research library community. The Association’s members are the 27 major academic research libraries across Canada plus the National Library of Canada, and the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI).
For More Information
Ms. Lynn Copeland
Chair, CARL Standing Committee on Effectiveness Measures and Statistics
copeland@sfu.ca
604.291.3265
Mr. Timothy Mark
CARL Executive Director
carl@uottawa.ca
613.562.5800 x3652
Ordering Information
carladm@uottawa.ca
or consult the website at www.carl-abrc.ca
