Recently, a constituent wrote to Town Councilors and Library Trustees asking for information about the library’s economic impact on our community. District 5 Town Councilor Ana Devlin Gauthier answered, offering her own perspective and useful research. Her response is shared below, with permission.

First, it is important to recognize the multiple types of economic driver that a library can be, including both the way you referred to, bringing people to downtown who may stay and like I often do (anecdotal, I know), grab a cup of coffee or lunch after inevitably browsing for longer than intended, as well as the economic driver of supporting the financial well being of those in our community. What I found in my quick look online was that some of the top ways in which libraries are economic drivers (as referenced in the articles I linked below) include:

· Access to resources which otherwise cost money (books, internet/computers, equipment, workshops, periodicals, et...), contributing to the financial well-being of residents

· Meeting spaces, bringing people to downtown 

· Support for English language learners, job seekers, and new residents 

· A draw to downtown, where multiple errands may be done due to proximity, supporting local brick-and-mortar businesses

Here are a few articles I found that are US-centric and getting at the economic impact of public libraries. I hope you will read them, as my four points above are VERY much distilled, and there is a wealth of information out there from formal studies on the topic:

Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development  (This was one piece I found particularly helpful. if you only read one of the links I am sending you, I encourage it to be this one.)

Economic Benefits and Impacts from Public Libraries in the State of Florida 

The Economic Impact of Public Libraries on South Carolina

Libraries as Economic Engines (I found the references on this article to be particularly helpful, but I won't list them all out here.)

So, while it is true that people will come to the library and then go out to lunch, there is much, much more to the economic impact of the Jones Renovation/Expansion. 

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