Why public libraries close

From LLN

Why public libraries close

Contents

A study of Why Public Libraries Close (35 pages, PDF) done by Christie M. Koontz, Dean K. Jue and Bradley Wade Bishop (all Florida State University), was presented at the ALA 2008 Annual Conference and is now available from Webjunction. Note that the report covers public libraries in the United States. Notes and comments follow.

Jeff Scott

By Jeff Scott, edited and adapted from a September 16, 2008 post at Gather no dust.

I was very interested in this report. It isn't as extensive as From Awareness to Funding which I previously wrote about. However, the Awareness report would seem to explain why libraries close more than this report does.

Very few libraries have actually closed, very few

I read about this program in Library Journal when they reviewed programs for ALA Annual. Library Journal's key comment: "Sounds alarmist, very few have actually closed. Very few."

One tenth of one percent

After reading this report, the statement that very few libraries have closed seems entirely accurate. According to the ALA Fact sheet:

  • There are more than 123,291 libraries in the United States
  • Of those, 16,543 are public libraries.
  • This report makes an assessment between the years 1999-2003. During that time 438 public libraries closed.
  • Well...that's not accurate. 134 libraries actually closed. The first number includes libraries that have closed and re-opened or where services were merged, replaced, etc. It doesn't mean closed and no services. The 134 libraries closed are closed with no services and no alternatives.
  • What percentage of public libraries in the United States actually closed over the four-year study period? One tenth of one percent!

More than a few flaws

The report only retrieved anecdotal information from one staff member at each library. I know from my own research into best practices in libraries that it's important to get the person in charge, but also speak to front line staff. For this research report, sticking to the data or using local newspapers might have been a better approach. It is hard to say what exactly is intended here. The approach used doesn't seem to stand on solid ground.

Notes from the report

The categories of closure are good as is the analysis of why libraries fail.

Thse notes on ongoing issues are extremely useful:

  1. Specific actions to minimize potential impacts of a closure on existing library users are rarely taken.
    (Comment: how many libraries have used story time, closure and other items as a political pawn when other cost savings could be implemented?)
  2. The...population within a one mile radius of closed libraries tended to be poorer, less educated and with more renters than homeowners compared to the entire U.S. population in 1999.
    (Comment: The poor are most affected. However, according to the Awareness report, they provide the least amount of support to the library.)
  3. Migration of America’s population to large population centers may be creating problems for rural libraries.
    (Comment, We have the opposite effect. More people are moving to our medium-sized community because of the low cost of living. This has created greater usage and strain on our services. More houses mean more one-time revenue, but not more operating revenue. That's an entirely different long-term problem.)

Errors in data

Quoting from the report:

It was during this time researchers discovered a large number of the 438 outlets identified as potentially closed were never closed. Further discussions with the identified contact person for each of these “closures” showed that most had no idea on why the library was not listed in the FSCS database for that particular year. A few suggested that it could be due to their non-reporting of the requested FSCS data for that particular year but they remained unsure about this anomaly. There were 192 library outlets that fell into this “unsure why we weren’t listed in that year’s FSCS report” category out of the original 438 outlets. There was no further processing or analysis done on the libraries in this category.

(Comment: My library is listed twice--once as part of a system and once as a standalone library. I have no idea why that is, nor do I know how to fix it.)

Conclusions

The general conclusion about libraries was the best part. Even though not that many libraries closed, advice to avoid closure is very beneficial. Some advice from the front, provided as responses to a question on how to prevent unwanted closures:

  • "Neighborhood advocacy would help prevent closures..."
  • “[Before] opening a branch” make sure the library systems can sustain it...
  • Shopping centers might not be the best fit for libraries, if rent changes frequently or it is inconvenient for users to reach...
  • If the library does control or own a facility, possible closure cannot be controlled...[
  • [One-time] grants should not be used to open libraries...
  • Open hours [need to be] convenient for users. In one instance, banker’s hours where no one could get to the library led to its demise.
  • Maintain an attractive building with services and resources that people need and can access.
In summary, it can be seen that public library closures are usually caused by the evolving needs of the local libraries (e.g., remodeling, branch relocations, library mergers) or due to factors that are somewhat outside of the library’s direct control (e.g., reduction in funding or staffing). Lack of library use at the closed library is not the primary reason for most public library closures.

I feel good after reading this report. There aren't that many libraries closing. The title is a bit alarmist but not misleading. The advice on how to avoid a closure is gold. It is extremely valuable to emphasize meeting the needs of the community. We are building a new branch and we are looking carefully at hours and resources so we don't get in over our heads before we even open the building. It is far more difficult to pull services than to never have provided them.

In the end, I feel good since it confirms the comment, "very few libraries have closed."

Editor's note

We'll add other comments as they appear, or you can add your comments here (or on the talk page) if you've read the report.

It's probably worth noting that "closures" are big news in the library field--and when they're short-lived or forestalled immediately, the likely closure generally gets more coverage than the reopening or non-closure. That's not unique to librarianship; news coverage tends to favor the bad (and unusual) over the good.

Related articles

Your turn: Talk about it

Retrieved from "http://pln.palinet.org/wiki/index.php/Why_public_libraries_close"
Personal tools
Home