LIBRARIES OF BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY
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<- Learn How to Advocate for Your Library!
Results of Zogby Polls*
Within the past two years, three Zogby polls were completed which show astounding support for libraries by the people of New York State .
- In October 2004, 73% of respondents reported being regular users of the library in their community. Among the most likely to use the library both weekly and monthly are parents of children under 17. People with an annual household income of less than $15,000 are more likely than those with higher incomes to use the library weekly or monthly.
- In the same Zogby poll, 61% of respondents felt that libraries deserve more financial support from the State, while half as many (32%) see the current support as adequate. Only 3% feel libraries should receive less State financial support.
- In October 2002, the Zogby pollsters asked respondents how willing they would be to increase their taxes to improve support for libraries. The response was more than 75%. Across all geographic regions and from all segments of the population regardless of income, gender or age, people were willing to support increased taxes if it meant increases in library funding.
- In a separate Zogby poll, 89% of respondents indicated that it was important that State government provide more funding for libraries. Of all the respondents to that poll, more than half (52%) indicated that it was very important that state government provide more funding for libraries.
- When asked how important the library was to their community, 95% of respondents said their library was important to them. 71% of all the respondents to this poll said the library was very important to them.
Regents Commission Survey*
A survey of 1,004 adults in April 1999 found the following:
- New Yorkers use their libraries in numbers well above the national average ( 73% of households).
- Local public libraries are very important to the quality of community life.
- 67% of respondents would double financial support for libraries, increasing spending from the New York State average of $32.17 per capita to an average of $64.07.
- The survey revealed that libraries are greatly used by students, families with children under 18, homemakers, retired New Yorkers, the underemployed and the unemployed.
- New Yorkers most commonly seek information from their public libraries on current news, personal health, computer/technology, cultural and community news and self-help.
- Reasons cited by New Yorkers for not using their local library include accessibility problems such as location, hours or parking availability.
*Source: www.nyla.org