ULC/Urban Institute Study Describes How PLs Foster Local Development

-- Library Journal, 01/16/2007

Drawing on research and anecdotal evidence from cities around the country, a new study from the Urban Institute suggests public libraries contribute to local economic development by offering literacy training, workforce training, supporting small business, and revitalizing neighborhoods. Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development, was commissioned by the Urban Libraries Council and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Regarding early literacy, which helps contribute to long-term economic success, the study cites, among other programs, the Brooklyn Public Library's Brooklyn Reads to Babies campaign and the Providence Public Library's Ready to Learn Providence Partnership for Parents.

To help support workforce development, the study hones in on the Newark Public Library's Victoria Technology Center, the Memphis Public Library's mobile JobLINC bus, and the Hartford Public Library's "The American Place" service for immigrants. The Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ, has helped establish the Arizona Economic Development Centers network, with small business resources. The Brooklyn Public Library offers a business plan competition, with seed money for the winner.  The study also notes that central libraries in cities like Seattle and Des Moines have become downtown attractions, and library officials nationally have begun to see the value of incorporating libraries into mixed-use developments and hybrid facilities.