Washington University Libraries
Site Search

Save Time! Ask Us

Skip navigation
vertical bar

Library Facts: By the Numbers

Washington University has 14 libraries on three campuses: 12 on the Danforth Campus and one each at the Medical School Campus and West Campus. Here's the complete list. The Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, and MOBIUS, among other organizations. See the Welcome to the Libraries page for more information.


  2007-08 2006-07 2005-06
Volumes Held 4,224,113 4,162,980 3,891,802
Books Purchased (print & electronic) 26,055 26,144 23,570
Current Journals (print & electronic) 67,057 49,970 41,339
Video and Film 61,366 60,733 56,953
Loans to Other Libraries 50,554 41,083 48,775
Loans from Other Libraries 48,729 46,627 48,880
Group Presentations (library instruction sessions) 401 194 182
Presentation Participants 5,611 2,429 2,345
Reference Questions 80,923 72,373 56,854
Items Checked Out 237,804 231,327 220,837
Use of Electronic Journals * 2,966,605 3,134,055 3,257,315
Website Page Views * 5,627,722 6,381,934 7,695,812
Online Catalog Searches * 2,875,788 2,579,083 4,711,113
Database Searches * 1,589,472 1,324,170 1,619,448
Professional Staff 93 93 113
Support Staff 115 117 135
Student Assistants (FTE) 58 59 63
Expenditures for Books $1,695,048 $1,245,570 $2,044,272
Expenditures for Journals $8,486,004 $8,505,527 $7,275,964
Total Materials Expenditures $12,462,732 $11,019,989 $10,646,463
Total Library Expenditures $27,347,597 $27,424,013 $37,908,474

* May not include figures from the Becker Medical Library, Law Library, and/or Social Work Library.