Strong Future for Public Library Use and Employment

To help address concerns about the future of public libraries during the current recession, Griffiths (academic affairs, Bryant U.) and King (information sciences, Bryant U. and U. of Tennessee) draw from studies commissioned by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Library Association conducted between 2004 and 2008, and reports on public libraries from 1990 to 2005, on trends and issues in public libraries, staff, and users. They discuss the increase in the use of public libraries in the US up to 2007, the variety of purposes for use, the implications of increased use, effects on the economic value of libraries and the economic return on investment, and effects on operational expenses and staffing patterns. They also describe trends in employment, staff structure, and career paths of librarians with master of library science and related graduate degrees during the recession, a ten-year forecast of future demand, and the impact of past recessions and evidence on the current one. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)