The American Library Association (ALA) has released the State of America’s Libraries Report for 2014. The focus is on the value of public libraries. Some of the information was collected through the Pew Internet and American Life Project. I have included a link at the end of the article if you would like to read it in its entirety:
“The Public Values Libraries’ Deepening Community Engagement”
The transformation of America’s libraries is not going unnoticed by the people they serve. A great majority of Americans “strongly value the role of public libraries in their communities, both for providing access to materials and resources and for promoting literacy and improving the overall quality of life,” according to a report issued in December 2013 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. “Most Americans say they have only had positive experiences at public libraries, and value a range of library resources and services.”
An astonishing 95% of the people ages 16 and older polled in the survey said that public libraries play an important role in their communities and that the materials and resources available there “play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed.” As further strong evidence that public libraries are actively engaging with the communities they serve:
- 95% of respondents said public libraries are important because they promote literacy and a love of reading.
- 94% said having a public library improves the quality of life in a community.
- 81% said public libraries provide many services people would have a hard time finding elsewhere.
The survey also showed that most Americans feel that libraries have done a good job embracing new technology, though many noted that being connected to the internet means that they can find “most information” on their own.
And what would life without the public library be like? “Some 90% of Americans ages 16 and older said that the closing of their local public library would have an impact on their community, with 63% saying it would have a ‘major’ impact,” according to the Pew report. “Asked about the personal impact of a public library closing, two-thirds (67%) of Americans said it would affect them and their families, including 29% who said it would have a major impact.”
For more info, visit: ALA.org » News » State of America’s Libraries Report 2014 » Public Libraries
Our Library! Gateway to the Past, Bridge to the Future.
Make a note:
- Thursday, October 9, at 5:00 p.m., in the Bossier Central Library, Friends of the Bossier Parish Library are sponsoring a Science Fair Information Session. Reference Librarian Debbie Adams and Brittainy Pope will talk about resources that are available to help students complete the written portion of their projects.
New Books
Fiction
“Painted Horses” by Malcolm Brooks
“The Devil Walks in Mattingly” by Billy Coffey
“The Supernatural Enhancements” by Edgar Cantero
“The Wolf A Novel” by Lorenzo Carcaterra
“Earth Awakens” by Orson Scott Card
“The Girl with All the Gifts” by M.R. Carey
“The Competition” by Marcia Clark
“The Amish Blacksmith” by Mindy Starns Clark
“Night of the White Buffalo” by Margaret Coel
“Adultery” by Paulo Coelho
Nonfiction
“The Old Farmer’s Almanac” by Robert Thomas
“Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market 2015” by Chuck Sambuchino
“Colliding with Destiny” by Sarah Jakes
“Simple, Smart Investing” by Ian Kennedy
“50 Ways to Wear a Scarf” by Lauren Friedman
“Creating Your Vintage Halloween” by Marion Paull
“Missing Microbes” by Martin J. Blaser
“The Skinny Confidential” by Lauryn Evarts
“The Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookbook” by Stephanie Pedersen
“The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking” by Martha Rose Shulman
Vickie Hardin is Associate Director of Public Relations for the Bossier Parish Library. She can be reached at vhardin@bossierlibrary.org
