Libraries Make an Economic Difference

A new study from The University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government finds that public libraries in Philadelphia make a huge difference.

Just a few interesting nuggets show that in 2010, the library provided a value of:

• $2.2 million in career development book-reading & lending.


• $2.1 million in job-finding online activities, including workforce database usage
  and online job searching/prep.


• $1.7 million job-readiness and workforce-related programming.


• $2.9 million in business development online and database activities.


• $819,285 in business development book-reading & lending.


• $55,385 in business development programming.

Plus, homes within ¼ mile of a Library are worth, on average, $9,630 more than homes more than ¼
mile from a Library.