2

WHY DO PEOPLE USE THE LIBRARY

THE CLIENTELE of the public libréry has been described,
but the kind of use the clientele makes of the public library
has hardly been mentioned. The preceding chapter has dealt
with the matter largely as though the public library provided
only one type of service. Actually the public library in the
United States provides a number of services to its users. It
lends books; it answers reference questions in person, by
phone, and by mail; it provides reading and study facilities;
it maintains files of newspapers, magazines, and other ma-
terial; it facilitates research work; it develops reading lists of
various kinds and provides personal reading guidance; it ad-
ministers discussion groups; it does group work in the read-
ing problems of clubs and organizations; it stocks and lends
films and recordings; it offers instruction in the use of the
librarys; it tells stories to children; and occasionally it manages
to find time for various other activities. From the available
data we can indicate what use the clientele makes of these
various services.

Of all library activities, the circulation of books for home
use represents by far the major public service provided by
the American public library. Most of the people who use
the public library seem to use its circulation services (Table
26); the reference and information services are a poor second
in amount of use by the public. The same distribution of
library activities is indicated by data on the allocation of
staff time and salary expenditures.

Both in public use and in the amount of time spent by