By the 2015-16 academic year, more than half of all library materials were electronic. The only sector that had more physical than electronic materials was four-year public institutions. Outside of salaries, the largest budget item for libraries was continuing commitments to subscriptions for journals, periodicals, newspapers, and other resources. Academic libraries spent nearly $2.3 billion on such subscriptions in 2015-16, nearly four times as much as they spent on one-time purchases of books and other materials.
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4-year public institutions (687 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $274,481,386 | 6.7% | $94,783 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $1,272,752,444 | 30.9% | $570,520 |
| Other materials/services | $65,601,657 | 1.6% | $17,855 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $1,729,975,347 | 41.9% | $1,210,004 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $384,245,570 | 9.3% | $166,052 |
| Preservation services | $26,645,550 | 0.6% | $1,698 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $370,659,293 | 9.0% | $130,283 |
| Total | $4,124,361,247 | 100.0% | $2,521,761 |
| Physical | 608,330,874 | 62.4% | 279,382 |
| Electronic | 367,089,788 | 37.6% | 295,112 |
| Total | 975,420,662 | 100.0% | 662,470 |
4-year private nonprofit institutions (1,515 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $297,160,499 | 9.2% | $38,040 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $918,887,588 | 28.3% | $178,000 |
| Other materials/services | $60,778,297 | 1.9% | $6,091 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $1,287,348,036 | 39.7% | $350,000 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $287,789,148 | 8.9% | $34,760 |
| Preservation services | $15,096,738 | 0.5% | $1,000 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $377,724,422 | 11.6% | $50,962 |
| Total | $3,244,784,728 | 100.0% | $693,271 |
| Physical | 371,144,786 | 47.5% | 82,578 |
| Electronic | 409,457,300 | 52.5% | 160,037 |
| Total | 780,602,086 | 100.0% | 262,189 |
4-year for-profit institutions (371 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $3,724,714 | 4.6% | $17,244 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $28,895,313 | 35.4% | $55,024 |
| Other materials/services | $3,482,308 | 4.3% | $173 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $34,306,693 | 42.1% | $100,439 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $3,574,604 | 4.4% | $11,015 |
| Preservation services | $113,395 | 0.1% | $0 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $7,436,090 | 9.1% | $1,211 |
| Total | $81,533,117 | 100.0% | $216,840 |
| Physical | 3,804,573 | 2.3% | 4,212 |
| Electronic | 158,733,053 | 97.7% | 135,055 |
| Total | 162,537,626 | 100.0% | 143,830 |
2-year public institutions (868 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $38,735,069 | 6.3% | $27,438 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $60,132,232 | 9.7% | $47,722 |
| Other materials/services | $9,812,947 | 1.6% | $2,257 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $393,762,052 | 63.7% | $304,221 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $85,211,580 | 13.8% | $58,119 |
| Preservation services | $608,473 | 0.1% | $0 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $29,960,287 | 4.8% | $18,450 |
| Total | $618,222,640 | 100.0% | $497,403 |
| Physical | 51,594,801 | 23.9% | 39,636 |
| Electronic | 164,175,281 | 76.1% | 100,018 |
| Total | 215,770,082 | 100.0% | 157,788 |
2-year private nonprofit institutions (96 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $217,045 | 4.3% | $5,600 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $1,505,691 | 29.6% | $33,672 |
| Other materials/services | $272,358 | 5.4% | $1,579 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $2,653,710 | 52.2% | $96,963 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $354,193 | 7.0% | $8,400 |
| Preservation services | $3,925 | 0.1% | $0 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $74,457 | 1.5% | $1,395 |
| Total | $5,081,379 | 100.0% | $171,230 |
| Physical | 649,871 | 9.4% | 1,938 |
| Electronic | 6,252,536 | 90.6% | 790 |
| Total | 6,902,407 | 100.0% | 8,701 |
2-year for-profit institutions (459 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $1,149,006 | 19.8% | $15,344 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $746,279 | 12.9% | $14,771 |
| Other materials/services | $15,907 | 0.3% | $0 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $3,270,257 | 56.3% | $85,442 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $258,363 | 4.4% | $0 |
| Preservation services | $1,490 | 0.0% | $0 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $366,259 | 6.3% | $0 |
| Total | $5,807,561 | 100.0% | $136,275 |
| Physical | 884,911 | 1.8% | 880 |
| Electronic | 48,794,224 | 98.2% | 672 |
| Total | 49,679,135 | 100.0% | 4,193 |
All institutions (3,996 colleges)
| One-time purchases of books and other materials | $615,467,719 | 7.6% | $37,131 |
| Continuing commitments to subscriptions | $2,282,919,547 | 28.3% | $123,820 |
| Other materials/services | $139,963,474 | 1.7% | $4,978 |
| Salaries and wages from the library budget | $3,451,316,095 | 42.7% | $412,171 |
| Fringe benefits from the library budget | $761,433,458 | 9.4% | $47,347 |
| Preservation services | $42,469,571 | 0.5% | $115 |
| Other operation and maintenance spending | $786,220,808 | 9.7% | $39,028 |
| Total | $8,079,790,672 | 100.0% | $745,646 |
| Physical | 1,036,409,816 | 47.3% | 49,330 |
| Electronic | 1,154,502,182 | 52.7% | 148,950 |
| Total | 2,190,911,998 | 100.0% | 208,984 |
Note: Salaries, wages, and benefits that are paid from a budget outside the library are not included in the totals. The number of institutions for each category represents those that have either physical or electronic library materials, or both. Only 25 percent of two-year nonprofit institutions and 5 percent of two-year for-profit institutions reported any library spending. Electronic materials include e-books, electronic databases, and periodicals that are digitally displayed on a computer screen. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.
Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data</small></p>