Academic Library Research

The Value of Academic Libraries

This report provides Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) leaders and the academic community with a clear view of the current state of the literature on value of libraries within an institutional context, suggestions for immediate "Next Steps" in the demonstration of academic library value, and a "Research Agenda" for articulating academic library value. Its focus is to help librarians understand, based on professional literature, the current answer to the question, "How does the library advance the missions of the institution?" This report is also of interest to higher educational professionals external to libraries, including senior leaders, administrators, faculty, and student affairs professionals.

Academic Library Research

Advances in information technology, networked systems, and especially the advent of the Web have driven a rapid and vast change in academic libraries. Almost every aspect of library work has been dramatically impacted by the Web which enabled greatly enhanced remote access to collections and services and has prompted innovations such as virtual reference, e-book and e-journal collection development, and digitized archives. Academic Library Research: Perspectives and Current Trends updates traditional topics that have undergone exceptional, and in some cases, unexpected change since 1990 as well as reaching into new areas that have developed. It combines theoretical scholarship as well as research designed to inform practice, including case studies and user surveys.

Reviewing the Academic Library