Creative Communities: the cultural benefits of Victoria’s Public Libraries is the latest addition to the growing volume of work of the economic and social value of public libraries.

Creative Communities completes a trilogy of major research reports from the State Library of Victoria (Australia) and Public Libraries Victoria Network about the breadth, depth and impact on the whole community of services offered by the modern public library.

While Libraries Building Communities (2005) and Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries (2011) focussed on the social contribution and economic value of public libraries, Creative Communities focusses on the cultural benefits that public libraries deliver to their communities.

The report highlights the important (and often under recognised) range of activities undertaken by Victoria’s public libraries that produce specifically cultural benefits, which community members may not otherwise access.

The Public Libraries Section website provides some useful links to a wide range of studies on the value of public libraries worldwide. We welcome additional links and information.