Libraries are wise investments

From a study in Pennsylvania:

Libraries in Cambria and Somerset counties do such a great job serving the needs of our region that it has been easy to take their values for granted.

Not anymore. Armed with the results of a statewide study conducted by the University of North Carolina, officials of our public libraries can now argue a return of $5.50 in benefits for every $1 in tax support.

A similar study was done for libraries in Southern Ohio, which found that:

the libraries’ cumulative expenditure of about $74 million returned a quantifiable direct economic benefit of $238.6 million—or $3.81 for each dollar expended in 2005.