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3 Library Services Task Force Executive Summary To the Commissioners: Thank you for your financial support and guidance for the series of studies on libraries and services in Orange County beginning with the Task Force of 2002, the Task Force of 2004, the Carrboro Study Group, and the most recent Task Force of 2007. These local studies are combined with four recent national studies described below to form the knowledge base for comprehensive library service for the county. • A national survey of public attitudes toward libraries reported that the American people see libraries as political solutions to many pressing community problems, such as universal access to computers and a safe place for teens. Libraries have high credibility; they are given the highest grade of any community institution. They perform an essential service in a trustworthy manner; local libraries use money well. The general public values libraries as a safe central community gathering location. The public believes libraries should provide traditional services, such as books for children, reference materials, knowledgeable and friendly librarians as well as 21St century services like computers and online services.1 • A national survey funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services concluded that libraries evoke consistent, extraordinary public trust among diverse adult users, that the public benefits from the presence of libraries on the Internet, that available information inspires the search for more information, and that Internet use is positively related to in-person visits to libraries.2 • A 2007 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that libraries drew visits from more than half the American population last year for a variety of purposes. Young adults were found to be the heaviest users of libraries for problem-solving purposes and other reasons.3 • Two additional recent reports calculated taxpayer return on investment in Florida and Pennsylvania public libraries respectively. These studies used public library annual reports to the State Library, a statewide household telephone survey of adults, in-library surveys of adults, surveys of organizations and an input-output ~ Long Overdue; A Fresh Look at Pzrblic Attitudes About Libraries in the 21 S` Century (2006).. Prepared by Public Agenda with support from the Americans for Libraries Council and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed 4/27/2008 from http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/long_overdue.pdf z Griffiths, Jose-Marie and Donald King (2008). Interconnections: The I1lILS National Stzzdy on the Use of Libraries, Museums and the Internet. Funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Accessed 4/27/2008 from http://interconnectionsreport.org/reports/ConclusionsFullRptB.pdf. s Estabrook, Leigh, Evans Witt and Leigh Rainey (2007). Information Searches That Solve Problems; How People Use the Internet, Libraries, and Government Agencies when They need Help. (2007). Funded by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Accessed 4/27/2008 from http://interconnectionsreport.org/reports/ConclusionsFullRptB.pdf.