National Statistics

Statistics on school libraries are collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) approximately every five years through the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Results of this survey are summarized in SASS reports. Occasionally, there is a special report on school libraries.

General SASS reports including school library survey results

Special SASS reports on school libraries

Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is the nation’s most extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and administrators who staff them. This report introduces the data from the fifth administration (2003-04) of SASS. It is intended to give the reader an overview of the SASS data for the school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private, and BIA-funded schools and their staff. See tables 43-47 for school library data.

School Library Media Centers: Selected Results from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002

This report provides an overview of the current state of school library media centers that serve U.S. 10th-graders.

50 Years of Supporting Children’s Learning: A History of Public School Libraries and Federal Legislation from 1953-2000

Drawn from more than 50 sources, this report presents descriptive data about public school libraries since 1953.

The Status of Public and Private School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999-2000

This report summarizes findings from the public and private School Library Media Center Questionnaires, a component of the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Topics addressed in this report are: characteristics of the library media center, staff characteristics, library expenditures, collection holdings, and library policies.

NOTE: Unlike for academic and public libraries, there is no E.D. TABS series for school libraries. Likewise, there are no public use data files on school libraries.