The statistics were derived as part of a research project undertaken with funds from the British Library which built on the post-Follett work culminating in The Effective Academic Library *. The data set was selected, following consultation with higher education institutions, by the Higher Education Management Statistics Group (HEMS) - a joint working group of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVCP), the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP) and the Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals (COSHEP). The tables include all institutions who are included in the HEMS publications.

The statistics are published separately from the remainder of the HEMS statistics as they involve the use of data not collected by an official agency. Nonetheless the statistics will prove useful to senior managers in higher education institutions, HEMS' intended audience, and as such they are published with HEMS' endorsement. To aid use, the HESA layout is followed as closely as possible, but the responsibility for these statistics rests entirely with SCONUL and their contracted statistical agency, LISU, at Loughborough University. A number of charts and graphs summarising the data has been included, with a brief commentary on a selection of key indicators.

(Text adapted from foreword provided by Professor Sir Ron Cooke.)

From 2009-10, the statistics have been incorporated into the HEIDI database, maintained by HESA. The 2009-10 volume of the UK Higher Education Library Management Statistics is available as a pdf, to members only, here.

For earlier volumes (ISSN 1475-6889), and all non-members, please contact sconul@sconul.ac.uk for details, quoting the academic year required along with the quantity.

* See the 'Follett report'   -  the Joint Funding Councils' Libraries Review Group Report, December 1993  -  published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and The effective academic library: a framework for evaluating the performance of UK academic libraries, a consultative report by the Joint Funding Councils' Ad-hoc Group on Performance Indicators for Libraries, published also by HEFCE, March 1995.