I0 COMMUNICATION AND READING

supplemental use of the more specialized medium of books. In
any case, in any community book readers (no doubt including
the users of the public library) tend to be particularly critical
of the communication media available.

This description of the extent of book reading and of its
relationship to other forms of communication constitutes the
first step in providing an orientation for the role of the public
library in American society. The second step is to indicate the
extent to which the public library supplies the books read by

the community.

“USERS”’ OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY How many people can be
considered users of the public library? The answer to this
question depends, of course, upon the definition given to the
term “user.” If it is defined in terms of registration with the
public library (for the usual three-year period), then the fig-
ure is about 25 percent of the adults (using the library desig-
nation of those in high school and/or over fifteen years of
age) and about 50 percent of the children. But, as we shall see,
registration is not a sound index for actual library use. If
“user” is defined as someone using the public library at least
once a year, the figure is about 18 percent of the adults (over
21) and somewhat under 5o percent of the children and
young people. Finally, if “user” is defined as someone using
the public library at least once a month, then the figure is
about 10 percent of the adults and about 33 percent of the
children and young people.” This last group might be con-
sidered the real users of the public library.®

A survey of a national cross-section revealed the following gross figures on
public library use by adults (SRC, 1948): used public library in preceding
month, 1o percent; used public library from a month to a year ago, 8 per-
cent; had not used public library in preceding year, 44 percent; never used
public library, 37 percent; no answer, 1 percent; total number of cases, 1,151.
It must be recognized that these are gross national figures and that they can

vary considerably from locality to locality. In larger cities, the extent of use
by children may be less extensive. A study of the use made of the g0