New Technology Services Draw Record Numbers to Libraries: Government Study Documents Ten Years of Steadily Increasing Public Use

December 22, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

New Technology Services Draw Record Numbers to Libraries:
Government Study Documents Ten Years of Steadily Increasing Public Use

Click on image for larger view.

Public Library Use, 1997-2007,
Per Capita Visits in the US

Source: Public Libraries Survey,
FY1997-FY2007, IMLS/NCES

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces the release of a new research brief, Service Trends in U.S. Public Libraries, 1997-2007. The brief identifies important changes public libraries have made to address patron needs in an increasingly Internet-centric environment and explores service differences in urban and rural communities. A comparison of more than 11 years of Public Library Survey data suggests that service changes in U.S. public libraries are having an impact on visitation and circulation, as record numbers of people now use public libraries nationwide. Several findings from the survey include:

The availability of Internet terminals in public libraries rose sharply between 2000 and 2007, increasing by 90 percent on a per capita basis. This dramatic increase is one example of the way U.S. public libraries are expanding their range of services to meet patron demand.
Between 1997 and 2007, per capita visits to public libraries increased nationwide by 19 percent. During the same period per capita circulation increased by 12 percent. This growth in demand for library services occurred even as people increasingly turned to the Internet to meet other information needs.
The study identified very different trajectories between urban and rural communities for select service trends, highlighting the importance of local context for identifying patron needs and improving services.

Future research from the Office of Policy, Planning, Research and Communication will examine library services in a variety of different contexts from small towns and remote rural areas to central cities and suburbs. This type of place-based analysis can provide important insight into the impact libraries have on their communities, while building a stronger, evidence-based platform for planning library services to meet local needs.

To read the research brief please go to: http://www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2010_01.pdf

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.