2011 State of America's Libraries Report Offers Fodder for Advocacy

ALA has released its annual State of America’s Libraries report, which documents trends in library usage and details the impact of library budget cuts, technology, and other challenges.
It also contains information on First Amendment challenges (efforts to have materials removed from public access).


To see a full TOC or to access the report as a PDF, go to http://tinyurl.com/alasalr2011. It's also available here in a cool, electronic magazine format where you can "flip the pages." 


Here are a few paragraphs from the Executive Summary:

Thirty-one percent of adults –– and 38 percent of senior citizens –– rank the library at the top of their list of tax-supported services. Overall, the library’s most highly valued services pertain to the provision of free information and programs that promote education and lifelong learning. Ninety-one percent (up 5 percentage points from the previous year) place great value in the library’s provision of information for school and work.

And almost all Americans (93 percent) believe that it is important that library services are free. 

Nevertheless, the past year showed that some state and local budget-cutters see libraries as easy targets. Media reports of cuts and cutbacks to library budget and services abounded in 2010 and early this year. U.S. mayors reported in November that hours, staff or services at local libraries was the No. 2 budget area that had come under the budget-reduction knife, second only to maintenance and services at parks and gardens. 

Anyone who is advocating for libraries, fighting budget battles (or proactively campaigning so they don't have to!), writing reports, or gathering usage data on libraries should be using this report as one of their tools.