Long Overdue
In this survey of the public, we find Americans prize public library service and see libraries as potential solutions to many communities’ most pressing problems, from universal access to computers to the need for better options for keeping teens safe and productive. But few Americans are aware of the increasingly tenuous financial picture faced by many libraries. Forty-five percent give an "A" to their local community for maintaining well-run libraries, far ahead of any other community institutions, including schools, parks and police. Those who think public libraries are primarily used by folks who can't afford bookstores are clearly mistaken -- higher-income families are even more likely to use public libraries than low-income families. Prepared with support from the Americans for Libraries Council and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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I would think that it would be the other way, where it is way more likely for low income families to use a library than higher class seeing as how the higher class families can afford the books and computers offered at a library.
As a director of a public library, I can honestly say we serve people from the higher econmic status to the lower economic status. There are services the library provides that include everyone. Not everyone feels the need to own a book they will probably only read once.
A thriving library is one which is welcoming to all regardless of economic or social status. As an American citizen living in a developing country, I can truly say this is the beauty of the American public library system. Whether you're seeking reference information or access to the internet, it's the perfect place. When travelling abroad I go to internet cafes, but in the U.S., I use public libraries for all my internet and research needs.
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