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What’s the best value for the money in times of economic trouble? The local library!
During the current financial crisis, everything seems down. But the use of libraries is way up, as people turn to this great local government resource for help in these troubled times.
With the nation in recession, Americans are visiting their local public libraries more often and checking out items with greater frequency. Libraries across the United States report that more people are turning to libraries in record numbers to take advantage of the free resources available there.
Library use is up 13% in Atlanta-Fulton County, 20% in Boise, and 11% in Wicomico County, Maryland
- 75% of these card owners reported using their library during the past year.
Libraries big and small across the country are seeing these double-digit increases as people need:
- Free Internet
- Help accessing government services (at all levels)
- Searching and applying for jobs (many applications are now only online)
- Learning new skills
- Free programs on managing investments, budgeting, career planning, etc.
- Resources for a small business
- Entertainment for the whole family (books, DVDs, CDs, storytimes, gaming, and movie nights).
For these reasons, libraries are proving to be important partners in helping local governments address community priorities. No longer institutions devoted solely to book circulation, today’s libraries provide citizens and businesses with Internet connectivity, career development, childhood literacy, immigration assistance, and other important services. Click here to download ICMA’s management perspective, Local Government Managers and Public Libraries: Partners for a Better Community.
Libraries provide a high return on investment to local communities. Multiple studies show that for every $1 invested, libraries provide an economic boost of around $5 and are a part of local government’s vital role in the nation’s economic recovery.
American Library Association (ALA) recommendations for stimulus funding are in line with ICMA’s, funding for basic library services across the country as well as specialized assistance to help Americans deal with the current economic crisis. In particular, funds are being requested to:
- Expand critical employment activities and services, such as resume development, job bank Web searches, and career planning workshops
- Reinstate or supplement evening and weekend hours of operation at libraries to provide the greatest possible access to services
- Promote financial literacy, housing counseling, and small business development assistance
- Acquire additional resources and materials to help keep up with increased demand for economic services nationwide.
To learn more about the American Library Association, visit www.ala.org.
For more information about ICMA’s Local Government and Public Library Partnership Initiative, click here.
By Michael Dowling, director, International and Chapter Relation Offices, American Library Association,mdowling@ala.org.
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