On April 11th, ALA published its annual State of America's Libraries report. Some of the highlighted trends in the report include:
- The local library has had increased usage in response to the recession. It "has become a lifeline, offering technology training and workshops on topics that ranged from résumé-writing to job-interview skills."
- Funding for libraries has not increased. "In fact, research conducted in 2009 by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Center for Library and Information Innovation at the University of Maryland suggests a “perfect storm” of growing community demand for library services and shrinking resources to meet that demand. The study found that while library use soared, a majority of states reported cuts in state funding to public libraries and to the state library agencies that support libraries and statewide library programs."
This is an interesting report that covers a wide-range of topics related to school, public, and academic libraries. Let me know if there are any revelations for you...
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