by Joe Miller,
Director of Development
Earlier this year, we explored some of the demographics around library use. This week, I want to explore some general attitudes about libraries.
The biggest finding is that Americans really like libraries.
Polling by Pew and Gallup found that when asked how important various institutions are to the community, 91% of respondents said libraries matter “quite a lot” or “a great deal.” That’s higher than the military (75%), small businesses (66%), the police (56%) and churches (44%).
So, it’s probably not surprising that two-thirds of Americans said that there would be a “major impact” on their community if their local public were to close.
It’s also not surprising that most people think of libraries as places that help them learn new things (76%), to grow as a person (65%) and to find information that helps them make decisions (58%).
More than 80% of Americans think that libraries provide safe places for people to spend time and that they create educational opportunities for people of all ages, while sparking creativity among young people. Nearly as many view libraries as places to learn new technologies.
Americans think of libraries as central parts of their communities—more than three in five say it promotes a sense of community among different groups and view the library as a gathering place for addressing community challenges.
What I found interesting, though, is that nearly four in five people said that the library helps them find information that is trustworthy.
It’s interesting, because overall trust in institutions is declining. The percentage of Americans who say they trust the federal government was around the 75% mark during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. It fell below 25% around 2008 and hasn’t risen above that mark since.
Trust in national news, science, educational institutions and churches has declined steadily, if more modestly than trust in government.
And yet, in the midst of declining trust, 78% of Americans say they trust information from the local public library. That’s higher than the trust they have for local news (72%) and government sources (61%). Only health providers (83%) and family and friends (82%) were deemed more trustworthy.
Pew’s research also revealed what the organization called “the secret mission” that people wish libraries would address—helping patrons find reliable information.
Close to 60% of the population actively seeks out information but struggles to find reliable sources. People in that group largely trust libraries and look for them to help sort the trustworthy stuff from the noise.
It’s a reasonable ask.
In next week’s column, I’ll offer up a few tips.
In the meantime, if there’s something you want to know, drop by your local library!
