Local Libraries Are Still Relevant and Important

Living in Bangor it is easy to love our local library it is such a beautiful historic building.  Just the other day I was borrowing an audio book on CD for a road trip and my Mom considers the Brewer library like her second home. And if you feel the same boy are we in good company, a new Pew study, shows that 95 percent of Americans say libraries are a crucial part of any community because of the opportunities and resources they provide.

More than 6,000 Americans ages 16 and older were polled by The Pew Internet & American Life Project and the respondents showed that  58 percent rated library programs for adults and use of the Internet, computers and printers as either “very important” or somewhat important.”  53 percent of respondents said they appreciated the help the library offers in applying for government services, and 51 percent liked the assistance a library offered in finding and applying for a job.

Along with enjoying the quiet and safety of a library 80 percent added that the librarian assistance and the resources for kids kept the local library in a place of importance in their lives.

The research added,  72 percent of all Americans 16 and older have visited a public library in person or online in the last year, or live with a family member who is an active recent user of the library.

And if you want an unanimous response to the whole thing, over 90 percent  of persons in the study said they’ve never had a negative experience at the library, and agreed that “public libraries are a welcoming, friendly place.”