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OSU library climbs in national rankings

May 24, 2005

For Immediate Release

STILLWATER - Oklahoma State University improved to No. 70 in rankings by the Association of Research Libraries for the 2003-04 academic year, its best showing in the last five years.

The improvement was due in large part to an increase in the school’s library budget. OSU topped all Big XII Conference schools with a 16.6 percent increase in expenditures, which is a critical factor in determining the rankings. OSU was one of only two schools with a double digit increase.

“We are quite pleased with the newest ARL ranking, but more importantly, we are pleased that increased library spending allowed us to improve our level of service for students and faculty,” said Sheila Grant Johnson, dean of OSU Libraries. “Their approval of our services means more to me than our ranking.”

The ARL is composed of the elite public, private and academic libraries in both the United States and Canada. Among U.S. public academic members in the association, OSU ranks in the top 50, Johnson said.

Rankings are based on five key factors: total number of volumes held (OSU: 2,572,044); gross volumes added (OSU: 77,050); current serials (OSU: 41,608); total expenditures (OSU: $12.8 million); and the number of professional and support staff (OSU: 134).

The OSU Library has been a member of the prestigious ARL for more than 40 years. The ARL ranking is based on the size of collections, staff and expenditures. It does not take into account the quality of services or user satisfaction. To learn more about the Association of Research Libraries and their ranking system, visit www.arl.org.

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