Eau Claire: The Public Library as Anchor Store

Link to July 16 Eau Claire Leader-Telegram article, "Downtown Eau Claire celebrates 25 years of renewal".

According to the 2008 Wisconsin Public Library Service Record, the L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in downtown Eau Claire generated the following business:

• 1,127, 390 items circulated
• 371,063 visits to facility
• 137,573 users of electronic resources (onsite)
• 22,578 program attendees

These are "anchor business" numbers.

The L. E. Phillips Library has given Eau Claire area residents a very compelling reason to visit the downtown area for more than 25 years, but the article makes no mention of this fact. An inexcusable oversight, if you ask me.