More Libraries than McDonalds (and more important facts about libraries)
Last night on the Open Source radio show, host Christopher Lydon expressed surprise and doubt about one fact I mentioned: there are more libraries in the United States than there are McDonalds Restaurants.
As evidence, I have linked below to a story from The Dallas Morning News about cuts in libraries at the very moment that they are more needed and more popular than ever.
Here are some more facts about libraries:
Americans go to school, public and academic libraries more than twice as often as they go to the movies.
There are more public libraries (16,220, including branches) than McDonald's restaurants (13,000) in the U.S.
Reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer more than 7 million questions weekly. Standing single file, the line of questioners would stretch from Boston to San Francisco.
Federal spending on libraries annually is 54 cents per person.
Americans spend more than three times as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.
Americans check out an average of more than six books a year. They spend $25.25 a year for the public library – less than the average cost of one hardcover book.
Public libraries are the No. 1 point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work.
95 percent of public libraries provide public access to the Internet.
SOURCE: American Library Association; mcdonalds.com