Assessing the value of public library services: A review of the literature and meta‐analysis (project META)

Abstract

This poster summarizes results of the IMLS funded University of South Carolina META project that explored the application of meta-analysis techniques to develop a robust model of public library economic value. Completed in 2014, the project approached this topic with two fundamental questions: (1) whether the reviewed public library valuation studies provide mounting evidence concerning the contributions that public libraries make to the economic prosperity of the communities they serve, and (2) what steps need to be taken in order to strengthen this assertion? The results of the analyses performed to answer these questions suggest that Americans typically receive five to six dollars for every dollar they spend on public library services. The results also lead to recommendations concerning strategies that could add strength to this assertion and provide a powerful new argument for the continuance of public library services: more detailed reporting practices, greater methodological consistency, and systematic consideration of intangible benefits.