RALEIGH—Nearly five million North Carolinians are card-carrying library users, and their use of libraries is up sharply, reported the State Library today. Growth in materials being checked out, customer visits, and especially internet use at libraries continues a trend. “Some counties report as much as a 45% increase in computer use since the holidays compared to last year,” said Pam Jaskot, Library Consultant at the State Library.
People seeking jobs, filling out applications, and exploring educational opportunities are joining students doing research at the computer terminals. Public librarians are busier than ever, assisting customers with internet searching, answering a myriad of questions, and directing individuals to accurate resources for their information needs. Maryjane Carbo, Library Director at the BHM Regional Library in Washington, N.C., stated, “We are seeing large spikes in our computer usage. Not only that, but customers report to us that they are discontinuing their internet connections at home and will use the library’s internet in order to save money.”
Jazzman Branford Marsalis, the spokesman for the State Library’s current campaign for The Smartest Card, said, “One of the first things I did when I moved to North Carolina six years ago was to get my library card.” http://www.ncculture.com/librarysmartcard/spokesperson.asp
In North Carolina, 55% of the state population owns a library card and in the last fiscal year over 37 million people visited their library. The national figure for library card holders is 68% percent of adults in the U.S., the greatest number since the American Library Association began collecting this data in 1990. (2008 Harris poll: http://tinyurl.com/9ewpcc). In times of economic hardship, Americans turn to and depend on their libraries and librarians.
Stats and Figures
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ld/ld.htm#Statistics
Circulation Statistics (Excel Spreadsheet)
Service Statistics (Excel Spreadsheet)
Growth in Internet Use in N.C. Libraries (Excel Spreadsheet)
The State Library is a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. It is now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com