A Fresh Look at Public Libraries

The Institute for Education and the Arts is posting an article from Public Agenda presenting a fresh look at public libraries.

Long Overdue:
A Fresh Look at Public Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century

Americans prize public library service and see libraries as potential solutions to many communities’ most pressing problems, from universal access to computers to the need for better options for keeping teens safe and productive. But few Americans are aware of the increasingly tenuous financial picture faced by many libraries.

Public Agenda examines attitudes about libraries in our latest study, "Long Overdue," prepared with support from the Americans for Libraries Council and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The report includes the results of a national survey of the general public as well as interviews with national and local civic leaders.

Libraries came out on top when the public assessed the performance of local institutions. Forty-five percent give an "A" to their local community for maintaining well-run libraries, far ahead of any other community institutions, including schools, parks and police.

The public also has a clear sense of what is crucial in a local library. More than 8 in 10 Americans believe that keeping services free should be a very high priority. Having enough current books for children, enough reference materials, friendly, knowledgeable library staff, and good programs for children and teens are also considered absolute essentials for libraries. The public also endorses the further development of libraries' Internet and other computer services, which is particularly noteworthy given that most respondents are already "wired" at home or at work.

Those who think public libraries are primarily used by folks who can't afford bookstores are clearly mistaken, with higher-income families even more likely to use public libraries than low-income families.

Four areas of opportunity for libraries resonated with the public and leaders alike:

(1) providing stronger services for teens,

(2) helping address illiteracy and poor reading skills among adults,

(3) providing ready access to information about government services, including making public documents and forms readily available and

(4) providing even greater access to computers for all.

Find out more about "Long Overdue," including free downloads of the full report: http://www.publicagenda.org/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=99

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