*

WHY PEOPLE USE THE LIBRARY T

these two motives, the emphases shifting somewhat with
changing economic conditions. During better times the de-
sire for a liberal education was a major stimulus, but as con-
ditions worsened occupational reasons took over the dominant
position. Next in order came the desire to improve one’s rela-
tions with his fellows (about 10 percent), political education
(about 7 to 8 percent), and remedial problems (about 2 per-
cent). The extent to which this special service attracted gen-
eral users of the public library is not stated.

The present practice is to consider every librarian who
comes into contact with the public as a readers’ adviser. To
what extent do librarians influence popular reading by direct
advice on the selection of books? According to available data,
this happens relatively seldom. Only 6 percent of a national
cross-section named librarians as a source of “ideas about
books to read”*" as against 35 percent who credited friends,
27 percent advertisements, 23 percent reviews, and 17 per-
cent other people. Only 2 percent of a sample in Los Angeles
named librarians as among the sources which have “influenced
you the most in what you read”** as against 36 percent who
mentioned personal interests, 25 percent friends, and 20 per-
cent advertisements and reviews. (The national figure in-
creases to only 12 percent for library users during the past
year, and the Los Angeles figure to 5 percent for regular
users, that is, those using the public library at least once every
two weeks.) However, the librarian is “consulted” much
more frequently: about 8o percent of the nonfiction users
and 50 percent of the fiction users asked the librarian for
help.*

UNRECORDED USE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS Anyone may go
to his community public library, browse in the collection,
*SRC, 1948.

*Field and Peacock, 1948.
#SRC, 1948.