38 LIBRARY USERS

TABLE 16

DirrereNt Economic Groups (Apurts) USING THE
PusrLic LiBrRARY, ADAPTED FROM VARIOUS STUDIES

PERCENTAGES
Field &

Economic Kaplan  Berelson Peacock Berelson SRC

Level 1943 1945 1948 1948 1948
High 29 26 41 32 30
Middle 30 28 19
Low 29 23 25 18 5

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

High 3,379 253 162 95 304
Middle A .. 632 708 563
Low 1,122 268 206 182 255

it difficult for them to read. The two groups almost certainly
make less than their proportionate use of the public library. In
this sense, the American public library is an institution patron-
ized chiefly by the “middle class” in the community, the ma-
jority of its clientele being members of the “middle income”
groups.

TABLE 17

PusLic LiBrRaArRY Users (Apurts) oN DIFFERENT
Economic LevELs, ADAPTED FROM THREE STUDIES

PERCENTAGES
: Field &
Economic Peacock Berelson SRC
Level 1948 1948 1948
High 21 12 41
Middle 62 76 52
Low 17 12 7

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

310 264 228