76% of Americans rated librarian assistance as very or somewhat important to them

Pew_Value of PL in Cmty
Image credit: Pew Internet

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently released new research results from its report How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities. This powerful study explores what Americans (16 and older) value about public libraries, how libraries impact them and their families, and how they use and perceive libraries. Here are some highlights from the results:

Just over 3 in 5 (61%) of respondents said they have a public library card, and nearly half (48%) have visited a library or bookmobile in the past year. Thirty percent of those surveyed had recently visited a public library website, up 5% from late 2012. For those who have ever been to a public library or had a household member use a library, library services rated most important included: books and media (81%); librarian assistance (76%); having a quiet, safe place (75%); and research resources (72%). An impressive 95% of respondents say public libraries are important because they promote literacy and a love of learning and provide free access to materials and resources so everyone has a chance to succeed. And respondents recognize the work libraries are doing with technology: 55% disagreed with the statement that public libraries have not done a good job keeping up with new technologies.

Learn more about how education attainment, age, race/ethnicity, and other demographics break down in the full report.

Note: This post is part of our series, “The Weekly Number.” In this series, we highlight statistics that help tell the story of the 21st century library.