This study asked a 1000 people various questions about their public libraries. In this digital age, 80 percent of those visiting the public library checked out a book while 29 percent went to connect to the Internet. Public Libraries are being directed to offer more cutting edge services and seeing their collection development budgets slashed, but is this really what our patrons want. Libraries have been about books for a long time. Do we really need to change this?
I believe we can offer a mixture of the more traditional services with the new, but are we focusing too much on the new and neglecting the libraries most beloved tradition: checking out a book. Our library leaders need to examine the results of this study and rethink the direction they are taking our public libraries.
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