"Libraries provide all residents with unlimited access to the reading and information resources that will mean the difference between success and failure for Swampscott residents as individuals, Swampscott as a town, and the United States as a nation. They are supported by a very modest contribution of public tax funds, and provide a fabulous return on this investment by any measure.
Sure, the library is an old fashioned concept. So is democracy. So is equal opportunity. So is getting your facts right."
Why We Need Free Public Libraries More Than Ever in The Atlantic
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"These increased levels of use remained high following the recovery as new and continuing users discovered the value of library services. The extensive use during recessions is partially the result of public libraries’ adjusting services to fill recession-related needs. It also stems from a growing public confidence in the trustworthiness of information provided by libraries, the quality of services offered and the convenient access...
• About one in eight visits is by a small business — and even some large ones — to conduct research and to seek information and support regarding legal, financial and operational concerns.
...Without budgets for new purchases, collections grow stale and outdated for lack of new volumes and updates."
Public libraries are particularly essential in recessions in The Providence Journal
