Libraries & Librarians

Just Released: The State of U.S. Academic Libraries: Findings From ACRL 2025 Annual Survey

October 13, 2026

Direct to Full Text Report: The State of U.S. Academic Libraries: Findings From the ACRL 2025 Annual Survey
25 pages; PDF.

From an ACRL Post:

This report focuses on U.S. academic libraries in fiscal year 2025 (the 2024–25 academic year). With the sunset of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Academic Libraries component after FY 2024, ACRL’s annual survey is the only source of comprehensive, national data. The results are weighted and therefore representative of all U.S. academic libraries.

Key findings include:

Library Staff: The median total full-time equivalent (FTE) staff is 7.6, a slight decrease relative to 2024 even as the ratio of FTE students to staff has risen.

Expenditures: Median total annual library expenditures are $470 thousand, excluding fringe benefits. Libraries spend $523 per student FTE, the same as in 2024, suggesting that when adjusted for inflation, libraries have less spending power in real terms.

Collections and circulation: Academic libraries continue to focus on electronic resources, with 79.7% of total collection holdings and 98.2% of total circulation in digital format.

Visits: The number of people entering academic libraries annually increased by about ten percent in 2025 relative to 2024, reaching a median of 53,250.

Information Services: Library staff share expertise through interactions with users one-on-one and in groups. In 2025, academic libraries report a median of 838 for total reference transactions and consultations. Almost a third (29.3%) of these interactions occur virtually.