Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

What Association of Research Libraries (ARL) does

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1932 and headquartered in Washington, DC, representing 124+ major research libraries and archives at universities, federal agencies, and large public institutions in Canada and the United States. The organization delivers advocacy on copyright, open access, privacy, and government information access; leadership development through four cohort programs (LFP, LCDP, ILP, and Kaleidoscope); and data and assessment products including the ARL Statistics Survey, the ARL Annual Salary Survey (covering more than 14,000 professional positions), LibQUAL+, and the Research Library Impact Framework. AI-focused resources include the ARL/CNI Futurescape Libraries AI Toolkit and an AI Researcher in Residence.

ARL's technology stack centers on the StatsQUAL online platform, which powers LibQUAL+ and the ARL Statistics Survey and was extended in 2026 with an open-source release of LibQUAL+. The organization also operates content and communications platforms including a WordPress-based website, the ARL Daily Intelligence and Weekly News Roundup newsletters, the quarterly ARL Monitor (relaunched spring 2025), and a monthly Public Policy Briefing, with social distribution via LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: recurring membership dues from 124+ institutions, event registration fees, publication sales (ARL Statistics, SPEC Kits, salary surveys), tuition for the Leadership Fellows, LCDP, and ILP programs, and sponsorships and donations (with EBSCO named as a learning network sponsor). ARL is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity, governed by a Board of Directors with the Executive Director (Andrew K. Pace) and approximately 20 HQ staff implementing the agenda across advocacy, research and analytics, scholarship and policy, and learning and transformation functions.

Name

Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

Legal name

Association of Research Libraries

Website

https://arl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit membership organization serving 124+ major research libraries and archives in the US and Canada, delivering policy advocacy, leadership development programs, benchmarking data products (ARL Statistics, LibQUAL+, salary surveys), and AI planning resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library & Information Science Association Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Research library advocacy
• Library statistics surveys
• Leadership development programs
• Information policy
• Scholarly communication

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ARL is a nonprofit membership organization. Research libraries and archives pay membership dues to join ARL. The membership application process and membership benefits are outlined on the ARL website.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for public events such as the President's Institute and other learning events. Some events like Association Meetings are member-only.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of ARL publications including ARL Statistics, ARL Academic Law Library Statistics, ARL Academic Health Sciences Library Statistics, ARL Annual Salary Survey, and SPEC Kits. Many publications are available for purchase as print and/or online PDFs through ARL Digital Publications.
4. Learning Program Tuition: Tuition fees for the Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP), Leadership Fellows Program (LFP), and Intensive Learning Program (ILP). Application fees and program sponsorship also contribute.
5. Sponsorships and Donations: Organizations and individuals sponsor ARL leadership programs and events, and donate to the Scholarship Fund. ARL is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit membership organization that provides advocacy representation, data analytics, leadership development, and professional networking services to research libraries and archives. It sells publications, conducts annual statistics and salary surveys, offers learning programs and conferences, and operates the StatsQUAL platform hosting LibQUAL+ and ARL Statistics. Products are distributed through direct membership, digital publications storefront, and self-serve web platforms.

Product overview

The Association of Research Libraries operates as a membership organization offering a portfolio of assessment tools, data products, learning programs, and publications for research libraries. Core products include LibQUAL+ (open-source survey application for library service quality), the ARL Statistics Survey, and ARL Annual Salary Survey (data on 14,000+ professional positions). The organization provides the Research Library Impact Framework for demonstrating library value, the Futurescape Libraries AI Toolkit for AI planning, and the ARL Monitor as a quarterly intelligence newsletter. Learning programs include the Leadership Fellows Program (13-month), Leadership and Career Development Program (13-month), Intensive Learning Program (8-month), and Kaleidoscope Program (2-year), along with the IDEAL Conference. These offerings serve member libraries through data collection, professional development, advocacy resources, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• ARL learning programs have been operating since 1997, successfully equipping library faculty and staff with leadership potential.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARL partners with CARL on Canadian public policy issues affecting research libraries. The organizations hold joint Association Meetings (e.g., the 190th ARL Association Meeting is a joint meeting with CARL). They also collaborate on advocacy positions and information sharing.
• Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARL works with CNI on joint initiatives. ARL's executive director serves ex officio on the CNI Steering Committee. The organizations co-sponsor the Library Assessment Conference and collaborated on the Futurescape Libraries AI Toolkit.
• International Alliance of Research Library Associations (IARLA)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerARL works with IARLA on global policy development. ARL is a member of IARLA and participates in international policy initiatives.
• Library Copyright Alliance (LCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARL is a member of the Library Copyright Alliance, which engages on international copyright and intellectual property issues. LCA develops positions on copyright, fair use, and access issues on behalf of ARL and other member organizations.
• EBSCO Information ServicesminorOthersEBSCO is a sponsor of ARL's Learning Network. EBSCO is described as the leading provider of research databases, e-journal and e-package subscription management, book collection development and acquisition management, and a major provider of library technology.
• Coalition PartnersstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerARL works in coalition with civil society, higher education, libraries, scholars, open science, research, technology, and trade organizations on advocacy priorities. Partners include American Council on Education, American Council on Learned Societies, Coalition for National Science Funding, Confederation of Open Access Repositories, and others.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARL co-sponsors the biennial Library Assessment Conference with the University of Washington. The conference gathers practitioners and researchers in library assessment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA): IFLA is the global umbrella body for library associations worldwide. It is comparable to ARL as an international library advocacy and policy organization, but operates at a global rather than North American scale and across all library types.
• American Library Association (ALA): ALA is the largest US library association with broader membership spanning all library types (public, school, academic). It is comparable to ARL as a sibling advocacy and professional development organization operating in the same library ecosystem, but with a much wider scope and less focus on research libraries specifically.

Others

• OCLC: OCLC is a global library cooperative providing shared cataloging, discovery, and resource sharing services. It is comparable as an adjacent technology and infrastructure provider serving the same research library community that ARL advocates for.
• LYRASIS: LYRASIS is a nonprofit technology and services organization serving libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions. It is comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant providing shared technical infrastructure and services to ARL's member libraries.

Direct peers

• Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL): CARL is the direct Canadian counterpart to ARL, serving research libraries across Canada. It is explicitly comparable: ARL and CARL co-host joint Association Meetings, collaborate on policy, and share member institutions across the US-Canada research library ecosystem.
• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL): ACRL is a division of ALA focused specifically on academic and research librarianship. It is comparable to ARL in serving the research library community with programming, standards, and advocacy, though it operates at a broader academic library level rather than exclusively large research libraries.
• International Alliance of Research Library Associations (IARLA): IARLA is an alliance of the world's major research library associations, of which ARL is a member. It is directly comparable as a peer organization coordinating policy and benchmarking across the global research library community.
• Coalition for Networked Information (CNI): CNI is a strategic partner of ARL focused on the intersection of digital information, scholarly communication, and advanced networking. ARL's executive director sits ex officio on CNI's Steering Committee, and they co-sponsor the Library Assessment Conference and the Futurescape AI Toolkit — making CNI a tightly intertwined peer in research library technology and policy.
• SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition): SPARC advocates for open access and scholarly communication reform and is a member of ARL's coalition network. It is comparable as a complementary advocacy organization working alongside ARL on open access, copyright, and information policy.
• Center for Research Libraries (CRL): CRL is a consortium of research libraries focused on shared collections, preservation, and access to rare and international resources. It is comparable to ARL as a peer consortium serving major research libraries with shared infrastructure and policy coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARLnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/association.of.research.libraries
• Instagraminstagram.com/arlnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-research-libraries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Research Libraries (ARL)