TV Ownership Takes Off in the Early 1950s While Library Circulation Remains Flat

Just a casual observation I made while paging through this book.

Source

Apr 7, 1952 Television is becoming a large part of the lives of Americans. On CBS, the "I Love Lucy" show (which began in October) wipes out its competition on NBC. "I Love Lucy" is viewed in 10.6 million households, the greatest number to date for a television show.  

Number of TV households in 1952:  15.3 million.

Statistical source.  Wisconsin Development Series:  Public Library Facilities (1965)

So....were there concerns, if not shock, over library circulation in the early 1950s?

There was certainly a debate taking place about the impact of television on reading, particularly as it related to children.  (1955 Rudolf Flesch published his influential work, Why Johnny Can't Read and What You Can Do About It. He discussed the reading problems of the nation's children and how television had a negative effect on reading ability.)

Late 1955 in the Nelson household, Great Falls, Montana.  No TV yet, but plenty of books.

As if thumbing their noses at Mr. Flesch, my parents bought a TV the following year.

Hello, Lone Ranger.  Goodbye, Curious George.  Not really, though Curious George was the first book I checked out of the Great Falls Public Library.