Key Library Facts

Check out these facts about how communities view and use their libraries.

1. Seven in 10 Americans believe their library is a pillar of their community
2. Two-thirds of Americans hold library cards
3. 36 percent of Americans visit their library weekly
4. More than 8 in 10 Americans agree that libraries provide an important oasis from their fast-paced, stressful lives
5. 34 percent of Americans go to the library to access the Internet
6. 70 percent see the library as a family destination
7. 76 percent of American children participate in programs at their libraries
8. One in three Americans will use the library at least once each month
9. Nearly 7 in 10 say libraries are one of the few places where their kids can learn quiet concentration in a hyperactive world.”

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Sources:

1. Perceptions of libraries and information resources: A report to the OCLC Membership (Dublin, OH: Online Computer Library Center, www.oclc.org, 2005). 1-1.
2. “Two-thirds of Americans have a library card.” (Harris Interactive: Poll released September 22, 2008).
3. Library Trends, Vol. 56, No. 2, Fall 2007 (“Gender Issues in Information Needs and Services,” edited by Cindy Ingold and Susan E. Searing), pp. 328–343.
4. Long Overdue: A fresh look at public and leadership attitudes about libraries in the 21st century (New York, New York: Public Agenda, 2006), pg. 25.
5. Library Trends.
6. Ibid.
7. Public libraries in the United States: Fiscal year 2005 (U.S. Department of Education, NCES 2008-301), pg. 14.
8. Perceptions of libraries and information resources: A report to the OCLC Membership (Dublin, OH: Online Computer Library Center, www.oclc.org, 2005). 1-1.
9. Long Overdue, pg. 26.