IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY 12§

the registration varies with the length of the registration pe-
riod. A good part of the registration is “dead” during a given
period. Frequency of use of the library is not evenly distrib-
uted among users of the library. Many users of the reference
and information services are not even registered with the li-
brary. Registration is disproportionately distributed through-
out the population groups. These circumstances must be taken
into account if one wants a more exact figure on the extent of
library use by the population. Also a clear definition of “use”
is necessary; for instance, use might be defined as once a year
or oftener. Finally, the figures on library use should distin-
guish between use by adults and use by children. Reliable fig-
ures of this sort are not easily available; even if they were,
they would represent only a general and rather crude index to
library use. The public library in the town is used by many
children in the community, probably by most, especially if
the library facilities of the school system are not extensive;
and by relatively few adults. One estimate is that about one in
three children and young people of school age are what might
be called “real users” of the public library, and about one in
ten adults.

Library users, whatever their number, are by no means
a cross-section of the population. Within the clientele, of
course, are found people from almost every walk of life
within the community, from one side of town to the other.
Individuals of all sorts use the library, but as a group the li-
brary clientele has clearly recognizable characteristics. Most
important of all, the clientele is young and has had schooling.
Almost half the clientele is made up of children (by the li-
brary definition of fifteen years of age and under), and an-
other large part i1s made up of young people from sixteen to
twenty-one. Even among adults, the younger age groups
make more use of the library than do their elders. Also, the
clientele as a group 1s much better educated than the popula-