ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 892 / C&RL News ■ September 2001 F a s A n n V t i Ie s Facts M e a n h o u r l y e a r n i n g s f o r l i b r a r i a n s According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey, the m ean hourly wages for librarians in 1999 was $22.01. The m ean hourly earnings for library clerks was $10.87. U. S. Department o† Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey: Occupational W ages in the United States, 1999. July 2001. http:ZAivwvv.bls.gov/special.requests/ocwc/oclt/ncsocs/ncs/ncbl0343.pdf. Aug. 12,2001 I M L S f u n d s l i b r a r y e d u c a t i o n 1 The Institute of Museum an d Library Services has aw arded “nearly $2 million to universities and colleges to recruit and educate students in library an d informa­ tion science.” "IM L S Responds to Nation's Shortage o f Librarians: Funds Recruitment, Education and Technology Training," Institute of Museum and Library Services, http://www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/071701-1.htm July 29, 2001 B u s i n e s s - r e l a t e d W e b q u e r i e s A study of Web searches submitted to the search engines Excite and Ask Jeeves in D ecem ber 1999 found that “approximately one in six Excite queries (approx 12%) and one in twelve Ask Jeeves queries (approx 6%) w ere business-related." In seven out o f ten of the business-related Excite searches, users viewed only the first two screens o f results. Forty-two percent of the business-related searches in Excite included nam es of companies, products, industries, or associations. More than 88% of the business-related searches in Ask Jeeves began with the question, “W here can I buy?" Amanda Spink and Okan Gunar, "E-Commerce Web Queries: Excite and Ask Jeeves Study,” First M on day 6, no. 7 (July 2, 2001). http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_7/spink/. July 31, 2001 I n c r e a s e d e x p e n d i t u r e s in A R L l i b r a r i e s According to statistics gathered by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), all but four university research libraries in the United States and Canada in­ creased total expenditures from 1994-1995 to 1999-2000. Five ARL Libraries increased total expenditures by more than 50% during this period: Washington University in St. Louis (+50.1%), University of Utah (+50.7%), University of Con­ necticut (+51.6%), North Carolina State University (+64.1%), and Rice University (+109.8%). Holdings o f University Research Libraries in U.S. and Canada, 1999=2000,” The Chronicle o f Higher Education; June 22. 2001: A20 U s a g e c h a n g e s in t h e B r i t i s h L i b r a r y Searches on the British Library’s online catalog increased by 24% from 1999­ 2000 to 2000-2001. Reference inquiries decreased by more than 14% from 604,432 to 516,231. British Library, Annual Report and Accounts 2000-01. http://www.bl.uk/information/ar0001/. July 31, 2001 S t o l e n l i b r a r y b o o k s w o r t h o n e m i l l i o n p o u n d s Lauren Hardman, head of security at the Association of Antiquarian Booksellers, estimates the total value o f rare books stolen from libraries during the last year to be about one million pounds. Chris Gray, "Bodleian Book Theft 'Part' of Pounds 3BN Business," The Independent (London), July 28, 2001. LEXIS NEX1S Academic Universe. Aug. 1, 2001 Ann Viles is coordinator of reference and instruction at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, e-mail: vilesea@conrad.appstate.edu http://www.bls.gov/special.requests/ocwc/oclt/ncsocs/ncs/ncbl0343.pdf http://www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/071701-1.htm http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_7/spink/ http://www.bl.uk/information/ar0001/ mailto:vilesea@conrad.appstate.edu