Value of Library Visits

money

The Archives, Library and Museum Alliance UK (ALMAUK) has put a value on public library visits following reseach on how users feel about them reports CILIP in the latest UPDATE magazine.

The report is based on results from just over 4,000 surveys of public library users and puts a theoretical value of between 24-27 pounds for each visit – this works out between 5.5 and 7.5 times greater than the actual cost of provision.

The study measured economic value by considering the cost to individuals of using the service, their spending with local service providers and the money saved by using the library as well as employment and supply chain effects.

The report is complemented by a toolkit designed to allow libraries to asses their own value to users.