1942: American Library Association encourages its division (Association of College and Research Libraries) to assume responsibility for gathering/compiling academic library statistics.
1947: ACRL statistics committee founded.
1966-1986: NCES collects academic library statistics every 2 years.
1980-1997: ACRL begins publishing ACRL University Library Statistics.
1988-1998: Federal data collection shifts from NCES to IPEDS with IPEDS collecting in even years, and ACRL collecting in odd years.
1998: ACRL begins publishing annual Academic Library Trends and Statistics survey results using ARL survey instrument.
2000- 2012: Federal data collection shifts from IPEDS to NCES with biennial Academic Library Survey.
2011: ACRL launches ACRL Metrics to provide online access to ACRL survey data from 1998-present. Includes selected IPEDS data.
2014: IPEDS debuts new Academic Library Component which replaces NCES Academic Library Survey.
2015: ACRL annual survey changes to incorporate IPEDS ALC and old NCES ALS plus trends questions.
2015: ACRL/ARL/ALA establishes IPEDS Academic Library Component Advisory Task Force.
2021: ACRL launches ACRL Benchmark.
