Global library cooperative Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC), US, has released findings from a research study designed to identify factors that both drive and limit local library funding support in the US. The report was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as part of a $1.2 million grant to determine the current state of public support for public libraries in the nation. OCLC worked with Leo Burnett USA, a national research and marketing agency, to conduct the study.
'From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America' found that most people are unaware of how their local libraries are funded; that library financial support is only marginally related to library visitation; and that voters who believe that the library is a transformational force, rather than a source of information, are more likely to support an increase in library funding.
Nearly 80 percent of US public library funding comes from local funding sources. Like other public services, libraries are facing increased financial strain. Library visitation is up, but the rate at which library referenda are being placed on the ballot and passing has decreased steadily over the past decade, it is observed. The report suggests that market segmentation is key in helping US public libraries advocate for increased funding support.
The study is available for download free of charge at www.oclc.org/reports/funding. Print copies of the 200-page report are also available from the same site.
