The State of America's Libraries

The American Library Association has released a new report on the State of America's Libraries in 2011. The report has both good and bad news. Not a lot of surprises really - but some sobering and inspiring results.

The report contains the results of a poll conducted by Harris Interactive about library usage. Of the people polled, over 65% had visited their library in the past year, and 58% had a library card. More women than men used the library, especially working women and working mothers. Over two thirds of those surveyed said that the library was important and helped them in finding work or launching a new business.

Overall, statistics for use in the nation's libraries are up, even as budgets are down. The budget news is sobering - Everyday we hear about libraries reducing hours and considering closing locations. Funding for public libraries in California is at risk in the State Budget. In Northern California, the Oakland Public Libraries faced the possible closure of 14 out of 18 branches. San Jose Public Library has reduced hours in some branches to 3 days a week. Elsewhere, the Seattle Public Library is once again closing for a full week in August, with no services available to the public. These stories are the new normal - a grim and sobering reality.

There are some positive signs and reason for optimism - Oakland Public Library staged an impressive public awareness and advocacy campaign, and the public outcry over the closures was so great that the City Council decided not to make the cuts in the library budget. The Los Angeles Public Library was recently able to reopen on Mondays thanks to Measure L, which guaranteed a higher percentage of the City's property taxes for the library.

A recent study completed for the Philadelphia Free Library showed that the return on the public investment in the library was substantial - the City got over $30 million in return through economic benefits from the library. This study also showed that housing located near libraries had a significantly higher value, helping the real estate market in the city. San Francisco Public Library and a number of other libraries have done studies that show that for every public dollar invested in the public library, a community gets anywhere from $4 to $8 in return.

So though times are tough, and budgets continue to be a challenge, the Public Library is still one of the best investments a community can make. Here in Huntington Beach, we are working hard to maintain hours and ensure that you have access to the best deal in town - your Public Library.