College and Research Libraries ROBERT B. OOWNS and JOHN W. HEUSSMAN Standards for University Libraries The following tables present data obtained on behalf of the Associa- tion of Research Libraries. INTEREST IN AND DEMAND for library standards have long been characteristic of American librarianship. During the past decade, and in a few instances earlier, statements of standards have been developed for public, school, col- lege, junior college, state, and special libraries. Rather oddly, however, the United States ha developed no code of stand- ards for university libraries. The Cana- dians and t4e British have been more daring; the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries in 1965 issued a Guide to Canadian University Library Standards, and in 1967 a sub- committee of the British Standing C~n­ ference on National and University Li- braries issued a statement on standards for university libraries. Neither the Ca- nadian nor British codes are exactly ap- plicable to conditions in the United States, though they contain useful sug- gestions. Why, considering the fact that the need for a generally acceptable state- ment of standards for university li- braries has long been recognized, has little progress been made? To many, the practical difficulties have appeared in- surmountable, chiefly because of the di- versity of institutions. The "institutional environment" and "mission" of individu- Mr. Downs is Dean of Library Admin- istration, and Mr. H eussman is Library Administrative Assistant, in the University of Illinois Library. 28/ al universities vary greatly and stand- . ards applicable to comprehensive uni- versities may be invalid for specialized institutions. A basic dilemma is the lack of definition of the term "university" it- self. The annual compilation of enroll- ment statistics in the nation's colleges and universities, published in School and Society, includes about 160 institu- tions under the heading of "Universities and Large Institutions of Complex Or- ganization," though many others are la- beled "universities," perhaps for prestige purposes or with hopes for the future. It is readily apparent, therefore, that any attempt to set up criteria applicable to old, well established private universi- ties, large general state universities, for- mer state and teachers colleges, and the many new c'instant" universities is full of pitfalls and complications. A factor not to be overlooked is the fear, especially among librarians of ma- jor institutions, that minimum standards may come to be regarded by university administrators and control boards as maximum standards, thereby if!1peding the growth of a given library. The same criticism could be made, of _course, of public, college, and other library stand- ards. There can be little doubt, how- ever, that the overall effect of standards has been to upgrade libraries, providing substandard institutions with yardsticks by which to measure their deficiencies. An urgent reason for developing uni- versity library standards is that any fail- ure on our part to take action will result in having tlie job taken away from us. ~--------------------------------------·---------------------------------------- ------ ------------~~-------------~------- TABLE 1 FINANCES: ToTAL LIBRARY BuDGET, 1968-69; AvERAGE ANNUAL ExPENDITURES, 1965-68 Library budget, 1968- 69 Library expenditures, 1967-68 Average annual library expenditures, 1965-68 No. of Total Range First Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile 50 147,464,633 2,949,293 . 970,835 1,918,357 50 141,258,935 2,825,179 1,213,743 1,727,075 50 122,076,147 2,441,523 1,055,368 1,500,000 TABLE 2 RELATIONSHIP OF ToTAL LIBRARY ExPENDITURES TO ToTAL UNIVERSITY ExPENDITURES FOR GENERAL AND EDucATIONAL PURPosEs, 1967- 68 No. of Total Range First Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median 2,529,461 2,452,836 2,023,594 Median Total library expenditures, 1967- 68 50 141,258,935 2,825,179 1,213,743 1,727,075 2,452,836 Universiz general and educational expen itures, 1967-68 Library's percentage Total library expenditures, 1967-68 Salaries and wages Percent, salaries and wages 50 4,019,632,084 80,392,641 18,140,016 50,652,000 66,492,520 50 3.5 1.6 2.8 3.6 TABLE 3 RELATIONSHIP O.F ToTAL LIBRARY ExPENDITUREs TO SALARIES AND WAGEs; BOOKS, PERIODICALS AND BINDING; GENERAL EXPENSES, 1967-68 No. of Total Range First Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median 50 141,258,935 2,825,179 1,213,743 . 1,727,075 2,452,836 50 80,832,234 1,616,645 681,019 978,685 1,300,033 50 57.2 43.6 53.5 56.0 50 47,685,800 953,716 391,241 Books, periodicals, and bindinS 600,983 835,357 Percent, books, periodicals, an binding 50 33.8 21.2 29.4 36.5 General expense 50 10,149,072 202,981 52,295 95,425 149,103 Percent, general expense 50 7.2 2.5 4.7 5.5 Third Range Quartile High 3,770,971 8,500,000 3,547,627 8,545,393 2,932,465 7,605,880 Third Range Quartile High 3,547,627 8,545,393 118,044,290 170,757,773 4.8 8.6 Third Range Quartile High 3,547,627 8,545,393 1,969,416 4,987,358 61.8 67.8 1,239,112 2,175,961 40.3 50.0 245,363 1,055,988 13.5 28.5 TABLE 4 STuDENT PER CAPITA ExPENDITURES FOR BooKs, PERioDicALs, AND BINDING, AND FOR ToTAL LmRARY ExPENDITURES CN 0 No. of Total Range First Third Range ........... Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High (j Total enrollment ( FTE) 50 994,740 19,895 4,719 11,840 16,775 28,369 48,285 £.. ~ Total library expenditures 50 141,258,935 2,825,179 1,213,743 1,727,075 2,452,836 3,547,627 8,545,393 (J'Q Per capita, total library expenditures 50 142.01 54.77 ~9.34 128.07 236.90 568.56 ~ Expenditures for books, periodicals, q- binding 50 47,685,800 953,716 391,241 600,983 835,357 1,239,112 2,175,961 ~ Per capita for books, periodicals, binding 50 47.94 20.39 35.40 46.61 70.13 224.54 ~ ('.) ~ ~ ~ ~ TABLE 5 ~ REsouRcEs: VoLUMEs, VoLuMEs ADDED, CURRENT ~ ...... PERIODICALS, AND MICROFORMS ~ ~ ~ ~ No. of Range First Third Range ...... Total ~ Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High ('.) Total volumes, June 30, 1968 50 99,459,415 1,989,188 890,666 1,164,142 1,456,684 2,103,723 7,920,387 ._ ~ Gross no. of vols. added ( 3 year average) 46 4,767,687 103,645 37,268 69,001 79,867 130,523 254,311 ~ ~ Net no. of vols. added ( 3 year average) 49 4,566,297 93,190 11,182 64,296 75,652 119,773 251,540 ~ Current periodicals received 47 692,543 14,735 5,649 9,100 11,050 17,049 50,055 <.t! No. of microforms 47 15,957,577 339,523 7,641 160,392 349,423 455,498 924,704 1--.4 Microfilm reels 44 1,228,543 27,921 2,452 13,947 22,930 41,632 101,396 co "'""1 Microfiche, microcards, microprint 43 13,693,569 318,455 5,189 170,686 320,918 439,060 907,531 c TABLE 6 RELATIONSIDP OF ENROLLMENT TO NuMBER OF VoLUMES AND TO NuMBER OF CURRENT JoURNALS No. of Total Range First Third Range Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High Enrollment 50 994,740 19,895 4,719 ~ 11,840 16,775 28,369 48,285 No. of vols. 50 99,459,415 1,989,188 890,666 , 1,164,142 1,456,684 2,103,723 7,920,387 Vols ~ per student 50 99.99 30.35 · 60.07 83.56 143.76 665.29 No. of current periodicals 47 692,543 14,734 5,6~9 9,100 11,050 17,049 50,055 Enrollment 47 959,314 20,411 4,719 13,299 16,903 28,651 48,285 Periodicals per student 47 .72 .24 .46 .68 1.33 4.59 TABLE 7 PERSONNEL N o. of T ot al Range First Third Range Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High Professional staff 50 4,439 88.8 33 56 73 99 227 Nonprofessional staff 50 7,681 153.6 58 98 119 199 426 Total staff 50 12,120 242.4 98 154 184.5 297 653 Percent professional 50 36.6 26.7 33.1 37.6 42.0 51.3 Hourly wages 49 6,680,305 136,332 29,164 72,068 113,000 193,351 446,628 Work hours/week professionals 50 1,922 38.44 35 37.5 39.0 40.0 40 Work hours/week clerical 49 1,894 38.66 35 37.5 40.0 40.0 40 TABLE 8 RELATIONSIDP OF TOTAL STAFF AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO ENROLLMENT No. of Total Ra nge First Third Range Cl:l Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High ~ ~ Enrollment 50 994,740 19,895 4,719 11,840 16,775 28,369 48,285 ~ ~ Professional staff 50 4,439 88.8 33 56 73.0 99 227 '; Enrollment/professional staff 50 224.09 41.64 158.36 225.24 362.96 675.72 ~ Total staff 50 12,120 242.40 98 154 184.5 297 653 "-h c Enrollment/total staff 50 82.07 16.42 49.05 89.05 133.98 275.14 '; ~ ~ .... c <:\) ~ TABLE 9 ~ ~ RELATIONSHIP OF NuMBER OF SEATS FOR READERS TO TOTAL ENROLLMENT t:"-4 .... ~ No. of Total Range First Third Range '; ~ Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High '; .... <:\) Enrollment 50 994,740 19,895 4,719 11,840 16,775 28,369 48,285 "" ........... Enrollment 49 986,745 20,138 4,719 12,570 16,903 28,510 48,285 VJ Number of seats 49 162,074 3,308 955 2,276 3,000 4,391 7,808 ....... Seats/ enrollment (percent) 49 16 05 12 16 26 62 Students per seat 49 6.09 1.60 3.84 6.15 8.41 20.65 TABLE 10 RELATIONSHIP OF THE AREA OF SHELVING FOR BOOKS TO THE TOTAL VoLUMES HELD IN THE LmRARY w t-o No. of Total Range First Third Range ............ Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High (J c No. of vols. 50 99,459,415 1,989,188 1,456,684 2,103,723 7,920,387 ........ 890,666 1,164,142 ~ No. of vols. 37 74,389,379 2,010,524 890,666 1,178,048 1,445,229 2,357,148 7,920,387 Q"Q Book shelving area 37 5,609,643 151,612 24,070 82,278 121,582 215,729 523,068 ('\) Vols. per square foot 37 13.26 7.42 9.70 13.70 16.81 49.95 q- ::tJ ('\) c.:, TABLE 11 ('\) ~ ~ RELATIONSHIP OF AREA AssiGNED TO STAFF TO THE ToTAL AREA ~ OF THE LmRARY, AND NuMBER OF SQUARE FEET PER STAFF MEMBER ~ t""1 .,... No. of Total Range First Third Range C!"' Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High ~ ~ .,... Staff area 34 1,144,798 33,671 8,800 18,310 29,328 44,191 91,287 ('\) c.:, No. of staff members 34 8,343 245.38 98 162 185 293 653 Square feet per staff member 34 137.22 22.72 97.21 146.68 179.76 328.76 ._ ~ ~ ~ ~ TABLE 12 ~ ~ SPACE: Am-CONDITIONED AND CARPETED ,......,. co "'l No. of Total Range First Third Range 0 Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High Air-conditioned space 35 8,345,073 238,430 29,732 128,250 204,600 363,563 510,000 Carpeted area 33 829,513 25,136 300 6,234 13,478 48,308 86,818 TABLE 13 CmcULATION AND PUBLIC SERVICE No. of Total Range First Third Range Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High Recorded general circulation 43 24,150,549 561,641 127,723 284,658 464,153 697,013 2,395,029 Recorded reserve circulation 40 8,462,190 211,555 15,369 59,714 166,569 342,623 647,860 Recorded general and reserve circulation 45 38,360,615 852,458 193,043 502,269 760,779 1,156,456 2,517,704 No. of hours open per week 50 4,877.25 97.55 74 89.5 100.0 106 121.5 TABLE 14 STUDENT PER CAPITA CmcULATION-SUMMARY No. of Total Range First Third Range Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High Total enrollment 50 994,740 19,894 4,719 11,840 16,775 28,369 48,285 Total enrollment 43 834,806 19,414 4,719 8,811 16,393 28,651 48,285 General circulation 43 24,150,549 561,641 127,723 284,658 464,153 697,013 2,395,029 Student per capita general circulation 43 28.93 4.31 14.44 28.31 55.73 82.98 Total enrollment 45 897,4991 19,944 4,719 10,065 16,393 28,510 48,285 General and reserve circulation 45 38,360,615 852,458 193,043 502,269 760,779 1,156,456 2,517,704 Student per capita general and reserve circulation 45 42.74 9.55 26.43 39.41 70.49 109.18 U) ~ TABLE 15 ~ ;::s SuMMARY DATA ON LAw LmRAruEs ~ ~ No. of Total Range First Third Range "-+. Libs. Amount Average Low Quartile Median Quartile High 0 -; Enrollment ( FTE ) 30 17,248 574.93 296 363 501 607 1,707 c.::! ;::s Faculty ( FTE) 30 944.88 31.50 13.0 21.0 27.15 40.0 72.0 ~. e Vols. 30 6,158,704 205,290 53,273 97,676 162,570 202,300 1,132,935 ~ -; Vols. per student 30 357.07 130 180 325 410 843 ~- Current journals 30 54,196 1,806.53 300 520 996 2,000 7,500 ~ ~ Journals per student 30 3.14 0.6 1.3 2.5 3.8 10.5 t"-4 Professional staff 30 188.45 6.28 1.75 3.5 5.25 8.0 21.1 ~. Nonprofessional staff 30 268.10 8.94 1.00 3.00 5.75 13.00 38.9 ~ -; Total staff 30 456.55 15.22 4.00 7.00 11.25 20.00 56.5 ~ -; Students per staff member 30 37.78 15 30 46 75 111 ~· Expenditures for books 30 2,179,245 72,642 27,000 42,225 72,099 91,896 183,009 IJ) ........... Book expenditures per student 30 126.35 42.49 96.42 118.86 171.74 314.49 w Salary expenditures 30 3,139,581 104,653 25,198 41,763 68,139 156,111 393,386 w Salary expenditures per student 30 182.03 69.16 90.67 137.34 252.47 419.89 Hours of opening per week 29 2,852.25 98.35 67.00 89.75 98.00- 104.75 168.00 34 I College & Research Libraries • January 1970 Already the vacuum is beginning to be filled by such agencies as the U.S. Office ~f Education, state boards of higher ed- ucation, state departments of education, and administrators of individual institu- tions. The consequences, if the trend continues, can only be <;haos. In recognition of the lack and in re- sponse to a widely expressed need, the Association of College and Research Li- braries and the Association of Research Libraries joined in 1968 in appointing a Committee on University Library Stand- ards, to deal with various aspects of uni- versity library operation and adminis- tration. The Joint Committee's original inten- tion was to adopt a strictly pragmatic approach to its assignment. Instead of attempting to formulate a statement of ideal standards, it was agreed that there should be developed a series of CCCriteria for Excellence for University Libraries," based on the best current practices. The criteria would be drawn from facts col- lected from the leading American uni- versity libraries. It was recognized, at the same time, that further research would be required before valid stand- ards could be established. As a control group, fifty university li- braries in the United States and Can- ada were selected. The libraries chosen are primarily those institutions belong- ing to the Association of American Uni- versities (or more specifically the Asso- ciation of Graduate Schools in the AA U), supplemented by several top ARL libraries to bring the total number to fifty. The entire group cooperated in supplying data under seven categories: resources, personnel, finances, space, public service, administration, and pro- fessional school libraries. The present article summarizes the data collected, prior to any attempt to develop stand- ards, because it is believed that the sta- tistical information in itself. is valuable. The preceding tables are based on far more detailed figures for individual li- Standards for University Libraries I 35 braries contained in a near-print report issued for limited distribution by the Association of Research Libraries. If one is willing to concede that the fifty universities represented in the pre- ceding tables do indeed possess the most distinguished libraries to be found in American institutions of higher edu- cation, an examination of their current status is relevant to the study of stand- ards. Any university library, if it wishes, can compare itself with the selected fifty on such bases as financial support, resources of various types, personnel, space, and aspects of public service. For the purpose, averages, medians, or quartile figures may be used. For practical application in an indi- vidual library, accordingly, the tabular data may assist the librarian in deter- mining the proper distribution of his budget, the ratio of professional to non- professional staff, the size of the book collection, space relationships, hours of service, and a variety of additional as- pects of library · management-enabling him to compare his own situation with institutions he considers his peers or whose eminence he desires to attain or to emulate. • •