Correlations between the economy and public library use

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between different aspects of public library use with elements of economic growth and development.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical correlations were performed to uncover statistically significant relationships.

Findings

Relationships are not uniform: strongly positive relationships exist between education and visits, circulation and library programmes, savings and visits and circulation and programmes, and a strongly negative relationship exists between health and circulation.

Research limitations/implications

Only one proxy variable for each of the economic development indicators was used, including the fact that others might have revealed other information.

Social implications

The revealed relationships should be kept in mind by librarians and policymakers as decisions to change library services that might trickle down to citizens through economic growth and development.

Originality/value

This paper brings together a variety of economic growth and development factors and several aspects of public library use in a single framework.

Citation

Skelly, L., Stilwell, C. and Underwood, P.G. (2015), "Correlations between the economy and public library use", The Bottom Line, Vol. 28 No. 1/2, pp. 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-12-2014-0032