People often forward articles about libraries to me, so I wasn’t surprised when my partner sent me this one: Who uses public libraries the most? There’s a divide by religion, and politics, from the Washington Post.
As a person focused on how libraries tell their stories and serve their communities, I found this an interesting – if long – read. Here are some key quotes from the article, and my thoughts about these findings.
One thing that doesn’t seem to drive most people to libraries? Financial hardship. In fact, the higher your income, the more regularly you avail yourself of their free books, spaces and services.
I wasn’t surprised by this one. As much as we think of libraries as a great equalizer, they can be surprisingly hard to access for lower income people. Some of the barriers we see include: lack of transportation, hours that aren’t convenient for working class people, fear of accruing fines and/or fees, shame over not being able to pay them, programs for children that fall during work hours, not seeing themselves reflected in library staffing, lack of awareness, and overall a lack of time to find and visit a library.
Pinpointing the folks who use libraries the most, then, doesn’t beg for advanced data analysis. The people who use libraries just like books. Only 10 percent of non-readers go to the library at least once a month, while almost half of those in the 100-plus-book club do the same.
Again, not a huge surprise here. Those of us who work in libraries can be frustrated by this perception – We offer many services in addition to books, but most people still think libraries are just for book lovers. In this case, two things can be true. Libraries are a place for book lovers. But they also have technology, makerspaces, streaming content, items you can check out like musical instruments and telescopes, and so much more.
Democrats are almost twice as likely to be monthly library visitors as their Republican friends — 30 percent vs. 17 percent … Part of their anti-library stance appears to be ideological … But then we found a much simpler explanation for the party gaps in library use. They shrink right up when we account for just one variable: the urban-rural divide … About 30 percent of city Republicans visited libraries in the past month vs. 35 percent of city Democrats, a difference that’s within the margin of error … Democrats, packed into urban areas, may simply have access to more and better libraries.
This section of the article was very interesting, in light of our current political environment. And when it comes to library funding, is it the chicken or the egg? If, according to the article, only “31 percent of Republicans want to increase [library funding], compared with 64 percent of Democrats,” is it because they are more likely to live in rural areas with limited library access and don’t see the positive impacts of libraries firsthand? Or are rural libraries less funded because of the political makeup of their communities. I have not worked in a rural library myself, but I know from listening to colleagues who do, rural libraries are very resource-strapped. Or, to quote the article, “Rural libraries and bookmobiles are doing secular-saintly work out there with limited budgets.” Regardless of political affiliations, libraries seek to serve everyone – and there are definitely issues in reaching rural areas.
given the diversity of responses, we can’t help imagining that a deeper factor is at play — that going to the library is a decent signal of your broader engagement with society.
I think this point is dead on. Libraries create connections – not just between people and books, or even people and librarians. But between people adn their communities. You can’t go to a library without seeing a random assortment of people from your community, and these may be people you wouldn’t see anywhere else. Libraries have a role to play in creating and nurturing social connections. And that’s a great story to tell, no matter who your audience is.
If you’re a data nerd like me, here’s more information about the Washington Post Department of Data. They are always seeking quantitative queries to create new articles. Here’s their call for submissions.
What are you curious about: Which states employ the most librarians? Which libraries have the most bookmobiles? What library branches have the largest footprint in square feet? Just ask! If your question inspires a column, we’ll send you an official Department of Data button and ID card.
Cordelia Anderson Consulting 