|
When one
is asked to think about economic development,
libraries are not the first thing that comes to
mind. But maybe they should be.
Throughout
its more than 55-years, the Southern New Jersey
Development Council has been a strong supporter of
libraries, recognizing early on the impact they can
have on economic development. Recently, SNJDC has
lobbied on behalf of the New Jersey State Library’s
New Jersey Knowledge Initiative, South Jersey
Regional Library Cooperative and many other local
library systems, and increased construction and
rehabilitation funds for public libraries.
Libraries
are beneficial to the community in two ways: The
services they provide are of benefit to a
community’s economic development, and the goods and
services they purchase directly benefit the local
community. Recently reports have been published
supporting the position that SNJDC has taken for
quite some time.
In a
recent research project, the Urban Libraries
Council, in partnership with the Urban Institute,
found that urban public libraries had great positive
impact on local businesses and economies for a
number of reasons. Community libraries tend to
purchase most of their goods and services from
local, community businesses, providing a direct
economic benefit to local suppliers of various goods
and services. The Online Computer Library Center
reports that, “U.S. libraries purchase an estimated
$14 billion annually … exceeding U.S. spending on
videos and athletic footwear, and approaching the
level spent by businesses on magazine advertising.”
There is
an indirect economic benefit to businesses due to
increased foot traffic. If properly funneled, this
foot traffic can maintain a healthy business
district around the library or amplify the effects
of an already healthy district, increasing tax
revenue.
Finally, a
well-funded and well-maintained library system,
especially one providing “early literacy services”
can have a long-lasting positive effect on a
community’s economy and standard of living. This is
key to responsible economic development, as the
effect is both maintainable and beneficial
throughout the library’s lifetime.
As
technology has evolved, so have libraries. Libraries
have embraced the technology revolution, thereby
delivering expensive and broad technology to its
members. This deliverance runs the gamut from being
able to check out DVDs to Internet access to remote
access to powerful databases and search engines.
At the
simplest level, libraries offer computers with free
Internet access. But recently, libraries have begun
to offer expanded and technologically advanced
services that cater directly toward the business
community, namely various business databases. Many
offer free and remote access to expensive
subscription-based databases that are unaffordable
to the average small business when purchased
privately. However, these materials quickly become
indispensable, as the value they provide to the
business owner is fast realized. The lone
entrepreneur is now given the same tools as the
corporation. For example, The University of South
Carolina found that 41% of business users said that
not having access to a public library would have
“some negative impact” and 33% said it would have a
“major negative impact on their business.”
Though
public libraries are funded through tax dollars,
reports show that libraries often have positive
returns on investment. Dollar for dollar, libraries
have proven to offer a substantial return on
investment, shown by some studies to be as high as a
$10 return on every $1 invested. Municipalities
across South Jersey should be looking into ways to
increase the services provided by their local
libraries, not only as a means of supplementing
their education program but also as a driving force
behind their economic development initiatives. And
those municipalities who support an institution of
higher learning should be enhancing their
partnership with the institution as a means of
supplementing their own library system. Academic
libraries can provide services to the community,
augmenting the benefit of local public libraries.
While
library construction and renovation may have many
short-term benefits, such as increasing construction
jobs, the long-term benefits of libraries is what
makes them vital in promoting a municipality’s
economic well-being.
Libraries
come in all shapes and sizes, and this versatility
will allow them to fit into any community’s plans
for downtown revitalization and rehabilitation.
Whether a community is creating a new downtown
business district, a mixed-use housing complex, or
engaging in a simple façade program, the community
library should be at the forefront of those plans. |
