HomeALA Library Fact Sheet 6

Public Library Use

ALA Library Fact Sheet Number 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 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.

Also see ALA's State of America's Libraries Report, 2007, which was announced with the press release, "New data on U.S. libraries shows almost two billion served: Predicted demise due to Internet fails to materialize," as well as ALA's State of America's Libraries Report, 2006.

REPORTED USAGE AND PERCEPTIONS

• Seven out of 10 Americans report being extremely or very satisfied with their public libraries – up 10 points from 2002.
• More than 8 in 10 Americans (85 percent) agree that their public libraries deserve more funding – including 58 percent who strongly agree.
• More than half of survey respondents (52 percent) believe $41 or more should be spent. Americans currently provide, on average, about $25 per year per person in local tax support for public libraries.
• Ninety-two percent of survey respondents believe libraries will still be needed in the future – even with all of the information available on the Internet.
• More than one-third of Americans put the benefits of libraries at the top of the public services list – as compared to schools, roads and parks – up 6 points from 2002.

Compared to the 2002 study, Americans' use of library services has grown in almost every category – from taking out books (up 14 points) to consulting with librarians (up 7 points) to taking out CDs, videos and computer software (up 13 points) to attending cultural programs like speakers or movie showings (up 8 points).

Nearly all Americans (96 percent) agree that because public libraries provide free access to materials and resources, they play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans own library cards and report that taking out books and using computers/Internet are the top services they use in public libraries. The most frequent library users are women, younger adults (ages 25 to 44), college-educated adults and parents of younger children.

View the complete 2006 survey results at both:

2006 @ your library® Household Survey: Attitudes Toward Public Libraries (PDF)

and 2006 @ your library® Household Survey - Detailed Study Slides (PDF)

REPORTED USAGE AND PERCEPTIONS - 2002

The similar March 2002 survey also conducted by KRC Research and Consulting, after interviewing one thousand people over the age of 18 by phone (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%), specifically found that:

• The library is most often used for educational purpose (46%) followed by entertainment (46%).
• 62% of respondents have a library card.
• 66% of all respondents reported using the public library at least once in the last year in person, by phone, or by computer.
• Of those respondents who reported using the public library in person in the last year, 67% said they had taken out books, 47% had consulted a librarian, 47% used reference materials, 31% read newspapers or magazines, 26% connected to the Internet, 25% took out CDs or videos, and 14% heard a speaker, saw a movie or attended a special program.
• 31% of the respondents had children, and 69% of these respondents said that they brought their children to the library.

PUBLIC OPINION AND PERCEPTION

• 91% of the total respondents believed libraries will exist in the future, despite all of the information available on the Internet.
• 91% believe libraries are changing and dynamic places with a variety of activities for the whole family.
• 90% believe libraries are places of opportunity for education, self-help and offer free access to all.
• 88% agreed libraries are unique because you have access to nearly everything on the Web or in print, as well as personal service and assistance in finding it.
• 83% believe libraries and librarians play an essential role in our democracy and are needed now more than ever.

For more information on this survey, see the press release for National Library Week 2002,

Library usage up in wake of recession
New studies highlight use, value of libraries as Americans celebrate National Library Week

REPORTED USAGE BY HOUSEHOLDS

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, <http://nces.ed.gov>) published public library usage statistics from its 2002 Current Population Survey in the publication, Households' Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries, which was released in January of 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.

This survey can be viewed as well as downloaded as an Adobe Reader PDF document at the NCES Web site at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007327

REPORTED USAGE BY RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUP

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.

	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian/Pacific Island	American Indian/Native Alaskan	other
Used in last month	44%	45%	41%	53%	46%	51%
Used in last year	65%	63%	58%	72%	65%	66%

The NCES Households' Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries described above 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.)

USAGE REPORTED BY LIBRARIES

Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2004 (2006) published in August of 2006 by the National Center for Education Statistics contains the most recent usage statistics as reported by libraries. The 9,207 respondent libraries reported:

Total visits:	1,322,396,000	4.7 per capita
Total circulation:	2,010,777,000	7.1 per capita
Circulation of children's materials:	708,287,000	35.2% of total circulation

This publication can be viewed as well as downloaded as an Adobe Reader PDF document at the NCES Web site at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006349

Librarians have long believed that when the economy goes down, public library use goes up. In February 2002, ALA contracted with the University of Illinois Library Research Center (LRC) to study library use over the last five years, at the twenty-five U.S. public libraries serving populations of 1 million or more. Using data from eighteen of those large libraries, the study found that circulation has increased significantly since March 2001, when the National Bureau of Economic Research pegged the beginning of the latest recession. Using statistical analysis, the LRC found that circulation in March 2001 was 8.3 percent higher than would be expected from the trend line that started in January 1997. It stayed well above that trend line, an average of 9% above, for the rest of the year. To find out more, once again access ALA's press release on the 2002 National Library Week, at Library usage up in wake of recession.

NOTE: Previous versions of this fact sheet can be accessed via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine using the original URL <http://www.ala.org/library/fact6.html>. And this URL still works as a "shortcut" link to this web page.

August 2007

For more information on this or other fact sheets, contact the ALA Library Reference Desk by telephone: 800-545-2433, extension 2153; fax: 312-280-3255; e-mail: library@ala.org; or regular mail: ALA Library, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611-2795.

Related Links

• Youth and library use studies show gains in serving young adults (July 2007)
• "Household Use of Public Libraries and Large Bookstores" by Jeffrey A. Hemmeter from Winter 2006 Library & Information Science Research
• Study: Young Adults Heavy Library Users By Anick Jesdanun (December 2007)