A Town Without a Library is like a Body Without a Brain.

I love Libraries. They are my number one resource when looking for what is available in a small town.  I always stop and visit when driving in an unknown area to me to see what they have.  I had the following experience when visiting the Fremont County Library in Landers, Wyoming.  I arrived with only 30 minutes to research in their genealogy department. They had a wonderful Wyoming collection.  Because of a small staff, they were unable to be with me, the books are locked in cases to protect the collection.  They would have to come pull a book, leave me in the room.  I would then have to go get them, and do the process over again.  It has to be an awful challenge to them, leaving what they are doing and helping in another area.  They were nice, and tried as best they could to be helpful.  It was evident time was not on my side, I told them what I was trying to accomplish regarding my great grandfather.  They immediately said you need to visit the new museum.  They called on the phone and found that it would be open another hour, so they gave me the directions. Their help ended up with my finding out where the burial records were sent for my great grandfather.
A Town without a Library is like a body without a brain.  
Now you know why I back the Support Your Local Library... Read on.

FIND A LIBRARY NEAR YOU

FIND YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY
INFORMATION INTEGRATED
WITH GOOGLE MAPS

DATA SOURCE:  IMLS

Sources:

• ALA Library Fact Sheet
• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Data
• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• Northwestern University Libraries information
• MIT Library Data
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Census.gov - Public Libraries in the U.S. 2009
• ALA - Funding Technology Access Study
• Volunteer Match - Engaging Volunteers
• Pew Internet - Libraries, patrons & ebooks

• ALA Quotable Facts - American Libraries
• Harrison County Library - Facts and Figures
• Stanford University - Library Facts
• Library of Congress - Fascinating Facts
• Libraries for Real Life
• Houston Library - Facts
• Library Journal - Annual Library Budgets Survey
• ALA - State of American Libraries Report - 2012
• NationalService.gov - Benefits of Volunteering
• ALA - Library Operating Expenditures

Thank you to StateStats.org

for providing this infographic and other free web guides and tools.