2013 State of America’s Library Report

In its recently released 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report, the American Library Association reports that libraries and library staff continue to respond to the needs of their communities, providing key resources as budgets are reduced, speaking out forcefully against book banning attempts and advocating for free access to digital content in libraries, with a keen focus placed on ebook formats.  The report was released in conjunction with National Library Week.

According to the report, after an economic recession that has left about 12 million Americans unemployed and millions more underemployed, libraries continue to play a transformative role in their communities

The more than 16,000 public libraries nationwide “offer a lifeline to people trying to adapt to challenging economic circumstances by providing technology training and online resources for employment, access to government resources, continuing education, retooling for new careers, and starting a small business,” ALA President Maureen Sullivan said in a prepared statement. Three-fourths of public libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create résumés and employment materials, and library staff helps patrons complete online job applications.

As the ongoing economic slump leads many Americans to re-examine their financial circumstances, libraries are responding in many ways. As an example, public and community college libraries are providing patrons with reliable financial information and investor education resources and programs, many of which target teens and young adults.

Digital content and libraries, and most urgently the issue of ebooks, also continues to be a focus of the library community. Libraries and publishers of ebooks have spent much of the past year seeking some middle ground that will allow greater library access to ebooks and still compensate publishers appropriately.

The State of America’s Libraries Report is designed to document trends in library usage and detail the impact of library budget cuts, technology use, and various other challenges facing U.S. libraries.  To access the full report, please visit:

American Library Association: The 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report