Excerpted from a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation study on public library funding in the United States
"Public library use in the United States is growing. Circulation and visits to U.S.libraries are increasing and a wide range of services, such as literacy classes, teen programs and public access computing, are also experiencing strong demand. But the public funding required to sustain the variety, use and appetite for library services is not keeping pace with demand. For many public libraries, particularly those in smaller rural communities, funding is a growing concern."
"Federal and state funding for public libraries has flattened or declined, and the ability to raise funds from local sources, which represent 81% of all library funding, has also become more difficult."
"Library levies and referenda are being placed on election ballots less frequently in recent years and passage rates of the library levies that make it to the ballot have steadily declined over the past decade."
Sources of public library funding:
- Local government funding (81.4%)
- Federal government (0.5%)
- Nontax sources including fees, donations, fines, etc. (8.4%)
- State government (9.6%)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2007
