"When asked to support local library funding measures, communities have done so, voting in favor of 87% of operating funding measures last year." -- Molly Raphael
Libraries across the United States need our help as they are being closed or having significant cuts made to their budgets.
The public library service has impacted each of us at some point in our lives whether as a child, a student or as an adult. It's presence in our communities reminds us that there are places that deeply respect knowledge and artistic and cultural achievements; places that are much more important than economic profit because of the larger role they play in enhancing our society's quality of life. And so, before you read my interview with Molly Raphael, President of the American Library Association, please take a moment to look at 10 important things you need to know about our American libraries.
1. Americans go to school, public and academic libraries nearly three times more often than they go to the movies.
2. There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S. (total of 16,604 including branches).
3. 59% of adults in the U.S. have a public library card.
4. Reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer nearly 5.7 million questions weekly.
5. Public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without internet connections at home, school or work (98.7% of public libraries provide public access to the internet).
6. Public libraries are one of the greatest equalizers for equitable access to information regardless of race, creed or income level.
7. In these times of economic crisis, over 65% of public libraries provide services for job seekers.
8. Americans spend more than twice as much on candy as they do on public libraries.
9. Americans spend $34.95 a year for the public library (and check out an average of more than seven books a year)
10. A public library provides a safe, warm, friendly place for a poor family to read with their children.
2. There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S. (total of 16,604 including branches).
3. 59% of adults in the U.S. have a public library card.
4. Reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer nearly 5.7 million questions weekly.
5. Public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without internet connections at home, school or work (98.7% of public libraries provide public access to the internet).
6. Public libraries are one of the greatest equalizers for equitable access to information regardless of race, creed or income level.
7. In these times of economic crisis, over 65% of public libraries provide services for job seekers.
8. Americans spend more than twice as much on candy as they do on public libraries.
9. Americans spend $34.95 a year for the public library (and check out an average of more than seven books a year)
10. A public library provides a safe, warm, friendly place for a poor family to read with their children.
(Sources: American Library Association, Henmead Enterprises, Inc.)
What are the major issues facing public libraries as the digital evolution of books continues?
Read More: /http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/how-will-we-read-in-publi_b_1103601.html?ref=tw/
Read More: /http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/how-will-we-read-in-publi_b_1103601.html?ref=tw/
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