Content area
Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:
Organizations in this industry provide library or archive services, maintaining collections of print and electronic documents (such as books, journals, newspapers, and music) and facilitating their use for informational, research, educational, or recreational purposes. Major libraries and archives include the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the New York Public Library (all based in the US), as well as the British Library, Library Archives Canada, and the Russian State Library.
The world is home to about 320,000 public libraries, according to the British Council. About 75% of libraries are located in developing and transitioning countries.
The US libraries and archives industry includes 2,000 establishments with combined annual revenue of about $2 billion.