America’s Public Libraries:

A Worthwhile InvestmentValerie Forrestal

COMM502 Capstone4/28/11

Audience: US Congress

he Library

s ead.

The Library.

Long live

(Last year libraries circulated more items [2.1 billion] than FedEx shipped.)

Library use is on the rise:

Nearly 90% of public library funding comes from local sources

Foreclosures & less home sales = lower property-tax revenues Local Revenue

89.89%

State Revenue5.06%

Federal Revenue0.34%

Other Funds (grants, fees & fines) 4.71%

In 2009, 4 million Americans were hired for jobs they applied for on library computers.

Someone uses

library resource

s to support

their small

business.

ibraries are among the most efficient of all

public services, serving more than

2/3 of the public with less than 2% of all

tax dollars.

or every $1 spent on the

library, acommunity sees an average of $4 in

return.

A 2010 study by the University of West Florida

found that:

F

Only 68.5% of Americans have home internet access.

In today’s information economy, access to the internet is vital, but...

Public libraries help bridge the digital divide.

”

“100 percent of our graduates are accepted to college... We

work with largely disadvantaged and at-risk youth, and they don’t have computers at home, so they come here to the library. They get support here. The librarians help them attain the online and print

materials they need.

The richest person in the world - in fact all the riches in the world - couldn't provide you with

anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.

- Malcolm Forbes

When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that

American society has found one more way to destroy itself. - Isaac Asimov

here is not such a cradle of democracy upon

the earth as the Free Public Library...  - Andrew Carnegie

http://www.cecil.ebranch.info/about-us/support-us/my-library-my-lifeline/

Americans spend 2.5 times as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.

Aren’t libraries worth a bag of chips to you?

www.oclc.org/roi/

dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/roi/publications.cfm

Wolverton, T. (2010). U.S. broadband use climbs.

www.oclc.org/reports/pdfs/214109usf_how_libraries_stack_up.pdf

cis.washington.edu/usimpact/documents/OPP4ALL_FinalReport.pdf

ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries2011/index.cfm

www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/talkingpoints/index.cfm

Sources