what would happen if .

What would happen if . . .We recorded one day in the life of Tennessee libraries?

October 7, 2010

More than 180,000 people

visited Tennessee libraries on

October 7, 2010.

"I feel like I am among friends

each time I visit the library. I love to read, but could

not afford to purchase books."

“I still have my first library card! Thank you, TN libraries!”

“At this point, this is the dilemma we face—libraries are being more heavily used than ever. At the same time,

library budgets are more threatened than ever.”

-ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels

“My mother helped enrich our

education by providing us with

many opportunities to

visit the library. I later continued on to college with an

academic scholarship.”

Four generations in the library

Libraries in Tennessee serve as community centers and hubs of family-friendly activities…

“I believe that free access to

knowledge and ideas provide

opportunity, one of the

foundational backbones of our country.”

Tennessee Libraries... not just for

booksAn average of 43 patrons per

library attended a special event on October 7, 2010.

Students and visitors in the average academic library

printed over 10,000 pages in one day.

Each school media center receives an average of more than 200 student visits per

day.

O About 75% of those students use the library’s computer.

Q: What is the most frequent suggestion for improvement regardless of library type?

A: Stay open later!

"The library is an important part of my

life. When you are having a bad day, you

can escape into a book. I love my library."

“It helps me with my projects in school when the computer can't."

They are always so helpful to me. I am a disable [sic]

student and whenever I am in the library the staff is so very nice to me and I just

want to say good job to the staff. Keep up the good

work. We notice these things all the time."

“It is quiet. I love it even though I don't like to read. I'm starting to love reading.”

"The library is a wonderful thing

for our community to

support."

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” -Walter Cronkite

O Did you know that on October 7, 2010…An average of 48 people per library reported that they came to the library just to read the newspaper?

I can't imagine not having a library. I love the smell of books, the paper! It

gives me a feeling of calmness.

32,371 = The number of items checked out in the 43 public libraries who tracked results during Snapshot Day.

“The library's purpose is to

preserve knowledge and allow people to

educate themselves. A

library is a repository of

knowledge and enjoyment, and this library is all those things!”

--TN Library patron

Support Tennessee Libraries

“Libraries opened up new worlds of

possibility to me.” -Tennessee library patron