Public Library Use

ALA Library Fact Sheet 6

The American Library Association is often asked to answer questions about public libraries: How are they used, who is using them, and what do people think of them? This ALA Library Fact Sheet is designed to help answer these questions. It contains information from recent studies that document public library use and opinions held by individuals about public libraries.

News stories nationwide -- some of which can be found at <http://www.ala.org/economynews> -- point to the increased library use due to these tough economic times -- as a 2002 report from ALA pointed out it would:

Economic Hard Times and Public Library Use Revisited by Dr. Mary Jo Lynch (former Director of the Office for Research and Statistics)
August 2002 American Libraries, pp. 62-63
http://www.ala.org/ala/research/librarystats/economichard.cfm
Public Library Use and Economic Hard Times: Analysis of Recent Data
Report prepared for the American Library Association by The Library Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 18, 2002
http://www.ala.org/ala/research/librarystats/public/economichardtimestechnicalreport.pdf

Also see the continuously updated list of links to library use news stories, articles, and reports compiled at the delicious.com account of the ALA Library, at:
http://delicious.com/alalibrary/libraryuse

Library Card Holders

In September 2008, a Harris Poll from Harris Interactive reported that 68 percent of Americans have a library card, while 76 percent of Americans visited their local library in the past year. In that same time period, 41 percent of Americans visited the web site of their local library. For full details, see our September 23, 2008 news item, New national poll shows library card registration reaches historic high: Three-quarters of library card holders visited their local libraries in past year.

Additional findings:

• Almost all Americans (92 percent) say they view their local library as an important education resource. Seven of 10 agreed their local library is a pillar of the community (72 percent), a community center (71 percent), a family destination (70 percent) and a cultural center (69 percent).

• Overall, people are satisfied with their public library. Based on everything they either know or might have heard or read, three of five Americans (59 percent) are extremely or very satisfied with their public library, with 22 percent somewhat satisfied.

• Among those that have a library card, the satisfaction is even higher -- more than two-thirds (68 percent) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their public library, while 22 percent report being somewhat satisfied. Even those who do not have a library card express satisfaction with their libraries -- two of five (40 percent) are extremely or very satisfied while 21 percent are somewhat satisfied.

State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association

The 2009 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association -- which can be quickly accessed at <http://www.ala.org/2009state> -- was released, as usual, during National Library Week. As detailed in our April 13, 2009 news item, New report shows libraries critical in times of crisis, but funding lags and services reduced, libraries continued to serve as excellent community resources, providing valuable information and support to users affected by the recession, even as funding began to falter:

• Libraries continue to report that job-related activities are a priority use of their computers and Internet services. Nationwide, libraries are offering programs tailored to meet local community economic needs, providing residents with guidance (including sessions with career advisers), training and workshops in resume writing and interviewing, job-search resources, and connections with outside agencies that offer training and job placement.

• Children are among the heaviest users of public-library resources. Children's materials accounted for 35 percent of all circulation transactions, and attendance at library-based children's programs was 57.8 million.

• Individual visits to school library media centers increased significantly at the schools that responded to both the 2007 and 2008 surveys: up 22.7 percent for the 50th percentile, up 12.5 percent for the 75th percentile, and up almost 25 percent for the 95th percentile. There were no major year-to-year differences in the responses with regard to the other variables.

• Academic libraries maintain their leading role in partnering to scan and digitize print book collections, with the potential to provide unprecedented access to millions of volumes. Large-scale digitization initiatives include Google Book Search, Microsoft Live Search Books, Open Content Alliance, and the Million Book Project.

• A survey of public, academic, school libraries and special libraries revealed that 40 percent of the 404 libraries that responded circulate games; PC games were the most frequently circulated type, offered by 25 percent, but the number of libraries circulating console and handheld games rose slightly from 2006 to 2007, while those circulating PC games and board/card games decreased slightly.

• The number of mobile library service vehicles continues to increase from more than 930 in 2008, vs. 825 nationwide in 2005.

• The library profession continued its active efforts in 2008 both to make its ranks more accessible to members of ethnic and racial minority groups and to strengthen its outreach efforts to underserved populations.

Findings of the 2008 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association -- at <http://www.ala.org/2008state> -- appear in our April 14, 2008 news item, Libraries play a key role in learning and development: Public libraries are engines of economic growth, studies show.

Findings of the 2007 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association -- at <http://www.ala.org/2007state> -- appear in our April 16, 2007 news item, New data on U.S. libraries shows almost two billion served: Predicted demise due to Internet fails to materialize.

Findings of the 2006 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association were reported in our April 4, 2006 news item, New State of America's Libraries report documents positive, expanding role of libraries.

Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study

The newest report in this series, Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008–2009 -- which can be accessed at shortcut address <http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding> -- assesses public access to computers, the Internet, and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, and the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment, and sustainability. The study builds on the longest-running and largest study of Internet connectivity in public libraries, Public Libraries & the Internet, begun in 1994 by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure. It was released, as usual, during September, Library Card Sign-Up Month.

Access the full Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study Press Kit, which includes a podcast, study summary, and especially the modernized take on the National Library Symbol -- the silhouette typing on a laptop computer -- in three sizes, in both blue and black versions. ALA's Larra Clark explained about the symbol: All hail Brian Benson, an Illinois graphic designer, who did the work for the ALA Office for Research & Statistics. It belongs to the library community, so feel free to make use of it.

This report's findings were summarized in our September 15, 2009 news item, In down economy, libraries are on frontline of connecting Americans with online government, job resources: Sustained funding, broadband improvements needed to meet increased demand, stating that while libraries across the country have reported significant spikes in patron usage over the past 12-18 months, many are struggling to maintain hours and staffing levels to meet demand as funding cuts at the state and local level loom large. Forty-four percent of states reported declines in state funding for public libraries in FY2009 – in some cases as much as 25 or 30 percent. These cuts often are compounded by declining or flat funding at the local level. Fourteen percent of libraries reported FY2009 declines. To meet growing demand, many library agencies are applying for federal stimulus funds through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), which would help enable libraries to strategically address Internet infrastructure, hardware and patron needs. With the BTOP emphasis on community partnerships, libraries also are ideal public partners with telecom companies and other government agencies. Nearly 60 percent of libraries report Internet connection speeds are insufficient to meet patron demand at some point in the day.

Additional key findings on the state of Internet availability in public libraries include:

• More than 90 percent of public libraries provide technology training such as online job-seeking and career-related classes, general Internet and computer use instruction;

• 76 percent of public libraries offer free wireless access; and

• 81 percent of public libraries report there are not enough public Internet computers to meet patron demand some or all of the time; increasingly, libraries are having trouble replacing outdated computer workstations due to cost.

Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study 2007-2008 appear in the September 2, 2008 news item, Public libraries report double-digit growth in Internet services in one year: Availability of online homework help, e-books, premium Web content jump. Throughout 2009, ALA's Office for Research and Statistics released Issues Briefs from the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study that further spotlighted the findings (as Adobe Reader PDF documents): Internet Connectivity in U.S. Public Libraries, Job-Seeking in US Public Libraries, Supporting Learners in Public Libraries, and U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services.

Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study 2006-2007 appear in our September 12, 2007 news item, Public libraries are sole source of online employment and education information for millions of Americans: Internet use at public libraries flourishes but technical, financial support lags.

Previous national surveys and polls

In January 2006, KRC Research and Consulting conducted a survey for ALA. The purpose of this survey was to measure the public's usage and perception of public libraries. Findings were detailed in our February 22, 2006 news item, In electronic age, Americans' use of library services grows: National study finds Americans value, see future need for public libraries. View the complete 2006 survey results in 2006 @ your library® Household Survey: Attitudes Toward Public Libraries (PDF) and 2006 @ your library® Household Survey - Detailed Study Slides (PDF).

KRC Research and Consulting conducted a similar survey for ALA in March 2002. Findings were detailed in our April 15, 2002 news item, Library usage up in wake of recession: New studies highlight use, value of libraries as Americans celebrate National Library Week. View the complete 2002 survey results in @ your library: Attitudes Toward Public Libraries Survey (PDF).

Usage Reported By Libraries

The most current federal statistics report on public libraries, Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2007 (2009), was published in June of 2009. These reports are presently conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and give the most recent usage statistics as reported by libraries. The 9,214 respondent libraries reported:

See previous editions of the Public Libraries in the United States fiscal year statistics reports for past numbers.

Usage Reported By Households

Public library usage statistics from the October 2002 Current Population Survey Library Supplement were reported in Households Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries: 2002, which was released in January 2007. The survey was conducted October 13-19, 2002. As explained in the report's Introduction: "Respondents to the survey were asked whether anyone in their household had used a public library or bookmobile in the past month. Those that answered 'yes' were asked a series of 17 questions about what particular use was made of the library. Those answering 'no' were asked whether anyone in their household had used a public library or bookmobile in the past year. All respondents were asked questions about accessibility to public libraries, and their use of other types of libraries."

• Almost one-third of households (31 percent) used a public library (including bookmobiles) in the month preceding the survey. Almost half (48 percent) used a public library in the year preceding the survey.

• The use of public libraries was higher for households that were closer to a library. In the past year, 52 percent of households less than a mile from a public library used a public library, 50 percent of households 1–2 miles from a public library used a public library, 47 percent of households 3–5 miles from a public library used a public library, 41 percent of households 6–10 miles from a public library used a public library, and one-third (34 percent) of households more than 10 miles from a public library used one.

• Nationwide, two-thirds of households with children under 18 (66 percent) used a public library in the past year. Sixty-nine percent of households with a high school student and 65 percent of households with a college student used a public library in the past year.

• Thirty-six percent of households with retired persons used a public library in the past year.

• More households used a public library in the past month to borrow materials (26 percent) or for enjoyment or hobbies (19 percent) than to get information for personal use (9 percent) or attend a meeting (2 percent).

• Nine percent of U.S. households used a public library in the past month to use a computer or the Internet.

• Ten percent of households with job-seekers used a public library in the past month to get information to help find a job.

• Forty-one percent of households with children under 18, 28 percent of households with any members ages 18 through 64, and 19 percent of households with any members age 65 and older used a public library or bookmobile in the past month to borrow materials.

Usage Reported By Racial/Ethnic Group

The Households Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries: 2002 found that:

• Among households with children under 18, a larger percentage of Black and Asian households (25 percent and 26 percent respectively) use a public library in the past month for a school assignment than did white or Hispanic households (22 percent and 20 percent respectively)

• A smaller proportion of white, non-Hispanic households (8 percent) than Black, non- Hispanic households (13 percent), Hispanic households (12 percent), Asian/Pacific Islander households (11 percent) or mixed households (12 percent) used a public library in the past month to use a computer or the Internet (table 22).

NOTE: This greater use of computers at public libraries by minorities than by whites may reflect the greater availability of computers in White and Asian households. A recent NCES study reported that "[Among American school children,] White and Asians are more likely to use computers at home than are Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians." (DeBell, M., and Chapman, C. [2006]. Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003 [NCES 2006-065]. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.)

Unpublished statistics concerning library use by persons of different racial/ethnic groups based on data from the survey described above were included in "Using Public Libraries: What Makes a Difference?" in the November 1997 issue of American Libraries. The following table is taken from that article.