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Library Public Value Narratives
This website is a joint project of the Maine State Library and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Extension Professor Jane Haskell and UMaine Extension Faculty Associate George Morse developed the website with ongoing assistance and guidance from many librarians and many at UMaine Extension. To increase the availability of the website to public librarians in Maine and beyond, the Maine State Library and UMaine Extension agreed that the Maine State Library would host the website. This is an excellent example of cooperation between two state institutions.
For more information, contact George Morse at morse001@umn.edu.
What? Why? and Who?
This website is for you if:
- You are a librarian or a library advocate who wants to communicate the value of your services to both your patrons and to the rest of the community.
- You are an elected public official who wants public services to be as effective and efficient as possible and taxes as low as possible.
- You want to answer these questions:
- What are some community-friendly tools that libraries can use to describe their public value?
- How can libraries adapt these tools to fit their unique library’s needs?
- How have some libraries used these public value narratives?
Tips on Using this Website
New or Casual Users: Use this page to guide your exploration of the topic and go to this page via Back to Library Public Value Narratives.
Public Value Narrative: Curt’s Story: Reading to a Dog
Look at this eye-opening story about Curt, an 8-year old, reading to Winston, a therapy dog. It’s an example of what public value messaging is all about.
Public Value Narratives: Libraries — Creating Public Value Narratives
What are some community-friendly tools that libraries can use to describe their public value? How can libraries adapt these tools to fit their unique library’s needs? How have some libraries used these public value narratives?
Educational Resources for Public Value of Libraries
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the Maine State Library, developed a number of educational opportunities about public value.
Contents
Major Sections of this Website:
- What? Why? and Who?
- Public Value Narrative Example: Curt’s Story: Reading to a Dog
- Additional Examples of Library Public Value Narratives
- Public Value Narratives: Libraries — Creating Public Value Narratives
- Educational Resources on Public Value of Libraries
Detailed Contents in Major Sections:
Understanding Public Value: What? Why? Who?
What is Private vs. Public Value?
Spillovers: An Example
Examples of public value statement
What is a public value narrative?
Why is the Public Value identification important?
Who will benefit from this website?
- Librarians and Library Advocates:
- Cooperative Extension Program Leaders and Advocates:
- Public Officials and Taxpayers:
Public Value Narrative: Curt’s Story: Reading to a Dog
- Curt’s Story
- The Statistic
- Research on Program
- Public Value Statement
Additional Examples of Public Value Narratives
- All the Books are Checked Out!
- Forest Gump: My First Book
- Library Search Solves Medication Side Effects
- La Mesa Public Library Changed My Life
- The Library: Gateway to America
- The Best Library
- Planet of the Apes Made Me a Librarian
- Saving My Butt in Seattle
Creating Public Value Narratives
- Stories About Your Library
- How to Develop a Good Story
- Statistics on Participation Reinforce Story
- Research on Impacts of Library Programs
- Public Value Statements for Libraries
Educational Resources on Public Value of Libraries
- Brochure: How Does Our Local Library Benefit My Family? (PDF)
- Recorded Webinar: Basics for Helping Organizations Identify & Promote Their Public and Private Value (YouTube).
- Library Trends Relevant to Public Value
- Research on the Economic Public Value of Libraries
- How Public Value Statements Have Been Used in Maine
Research on the Economic Value of Public Libraries
Private Value of Libraries (i.e. Direct Benefits to Library Patrons)
- Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries (2004)
- Libraries and economic value: a review of recent studies (2005)
- Measuring Your Library’s Value: How to Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis for Your Public Library (2008)
- The economic value of the free library in Philadelphia (2010)
- Library Use Value Calculators: estimate the value for your library or your family
Public Value of Libraries (Indirect Benefits to Non-users of the Library)
- Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries (2004)
- Measuring Your Library’s Value: How to Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis for Your Public Library (2008)
- From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America, A Report to the OCLC Membership (PDF):
2008 OCLC report on library support: visit the Summary of Chapter 1: From Awareness to Funding page - Measuring the public library’s societal value: A methodological research program. (2013)
Library Trends Relevant to Public Value
- Libraries and Information, Maine Policy Review (2013)
- 2014 State of American’s Libraries
- “Pew Research Center: Libraries”
- “From Awareness to Funding”
- “The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation”
- What to expect from libraries in the 21st Century
