The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries at comprehensive research institutions in Canada and the US sharing similar research missions, aspirations, and achievements.
Since 1961, ARL annually publishes statistics collected from its members describing the collections, staffing, print and electronic materials expenditures, and service activities of its member libraries. Unless stated otherwise, the numbers shared here were collected by IU Libraries as part of this important benchmarking activity.
Data is most often from the most recent fiscal year, 2018–2019, although when helpful prior year data is offered.
Data displayed is extracted from the 2018-2019 IU Libraries Annual Report
To request a printed copy of the current Annual Report, please email libcomm@iu.edu.
To view and print IU Libraries Annual Reports:
2018-2019 -- 2016-2018 -- 2015-2016
24, 852 all recorded reference interactions at all libraries
1,986 Number of recorded classroom instruction sessions

In 2018-2019 a total of 3,005,031 visits were made to all IU Libraries locations that record visits. This includes the Herman B Wells Library, which had 2,098,409 visits, as well as other library destinations - Business/Spea Information Commons, William and Gayle Cook Music Library, Education Library, Sciences Library and the Life Sciences Library.
Financial Support
$13,263,264
Total amount of external grant funding received, 2018-2019
Collection Highlights
130,000 Items in the Moving Image Archive
3,637,634 Items at the Ruth Lilly Auxiliary Library Facility
1,918,759 ebooks
450,000 Rare books at the Lilly Library
10,921,376 total catalogued items
754,262 Catalogued items at the William and Gayle Cook Music Library
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