ABOUT THE LIBRARY
National Study Finds Americans Value, See Future Need for Public Libraries
March 1, 2006
Findings Reflected in High Patron Use of IMCPL in 2005
A new national study from the American Library Association (ALA) finds that Americans overwhelmingly are very satisfied with their public libraries, agree more public library funding is needed and believe public libraries will be needed in the future. Two-thirds of adult Americans (roughly 135 million people) visited their public libraries last year.
Library usage in Marion County reflects these findings. In 2005, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library attracted more visitors than ever before (5.4 million patron visits) and circulated over 12 million items.
KRC Research & Consulting conducted the study, which interviewed 1,003 adult Americans in a national random-sample telephone survey conducted in January. Libraries and librarians - as well as the services they offer - are clearly valuable to Americans. Findings show that:
- 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.
- 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.
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.
"The public library plays a vital role in a civil society," said IMCPL CEO Linda Mielke. "Free access to information and services benefits all citizens and leads to a more productive and literate community."
Sixty-one percent of library users report using the computer in some way - including checking the online catalog, connecting to the Internet and writing a paper or preparing a resume - when they visited the library. African-American and Hispanic adults are significantly more likely to use their public library for job searches or writing resumes than Caucasian adults.
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. In 2005, IMCPL noted a 17% increase in library cardholders, totaling over 394,000 residents and representing nearly half of those residing in IMCPL's service area. Over 4.6 million items were circulated via IMCPL's web and telephone renewal systems.
Nationally, the most frequent library users are women, younger adults (ages 25 to 44), college-educated adults and parents of younger children. Adults in the Midwest and West are more likely to have visited their public library than their counterparts in the South and Northeast.
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, with its 22 branch locations, the Interim Central Library and Outreach Services, provides materials and programs in support of the lifelong learning, recreational and economic interests of all citizens of Marion County.
