University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina (USC) School of Library and Information Science will investigate contributions public libraries make to the prosperity of the communities they serve and the new types of value created as public libraries realize their potential as vital, energizing community anchors. Building off of an IMLS grant from 2004 (META 1, RE-04-08-0047), the research team will use current empirical studies of economic benefit measures and contextual variables to determine whether, taken together, they provide convincing evidence of public library economic value. During the second year the team will turn its attention to the most recent Public Library Survey data and apply statistical meta-analysis methodology to determine whether the Survey data continues to provide mounting and generalizable evidence of public library economic value.