The return of the investment on public library infrastructure is nicely captured in this article: The Returns to Public Library Investment by Gilpin, Karger, and Nencka. Libraries do make a difference! As listed in the abstract, local governments spend over 12 billion dollars annually on 15,000 public libraries in the United States. This funding supports widespread library use: more than 50% of Americans visit public libraries each year. Despite extensive public investment in libraries, surprisingly little research quantifies the effects of public libraries on communities and children. Data studied show the effects of capital spending shocks on library resources, patron usage, student achievement, and local housing prices. This research shows that library capital investment increases children’s attendance at library events by 18%, children’s checkouts of items by 21%, and total library visits by 21%. Increases in library use translate into improved children’s test scores in nearby school districts: a $1,000 or greater per-student capital investment in local public libraries increases reading test scores by 0.02 standard deviations. Housing prices do not change after a sharp increase in public library capital investment. Residents seem to internalize the increased cost and improved quality of their public libraries.
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