Excerpt: Heading into the second decade of the 21st century, the urban library has become America's knowledge center. "The problem is that many leaders think of libraries as they existed in the 1960s and '70s," says Susan Benton, CEO of the Urban Libraries Council. One idea the council would like local officials to consider is the notion of the urban library as a magnet for economic development. The concept is not new, but has taken on importance as some question the direct cost of running libraries. When the Seattle Public Library opened a striking new building in 2004, the number of daily visitors doubled, attracting thousands of people to the city's downtown. [Emphasis added.]
Here's another opportunity to draw attention to one of the best recent article to be written about libraries.
Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities.
There's been a dramatic change in the mission of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities. They are also becoming important "economic engines" of downtowns and neighborhood districts.
And here's one way to start working on that image problem. (The advice isn't specific to Wisconsin libraries.)
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