As more and more resources and aids in college academic libraries go digital, secondary education is faced with increased demands to prepare students for using the libraries of the future, now.  Here are some of the latest statistics about college-based academic libraries, according to a recent NCES study:

• Academic libraries held approximately 158.7 million e-books and about 1.8 million electronic reference sources and aggregation services at the end of FY 2010.

• Academic libraries spent approximately $152.4 million for electronic books, serial backfiles, and other materials in FY 2010. Expenditures for electronic current serial subscriptions totaled about $1.2 billion.

• During FY 2010, some 72 percent of academic libraries reported that they supported virtual reference services.

Article Source:  Academic Libraries: 2010 (“summarizes services, staff, collections, and expenditures of academic libraries in 2- and 4-year, degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 50 states and the District of Columbia”)

Image Source:  stock.xchng (New York Public Library)