Long Live the American Library: INFOGRAPHIC

By Claire Daniel 

BritishLibraryInterior02Fun fact: Did you know that there are more libraries in America than there are McDonald’s restaurants?

We didn’t either, but thanks to this nifty infographic from H&R Block (of all places… but thanks for the share, ElectricLit), we now do.

What else do we learn? Well there’s the fun fact that Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In led other fiction and non-fiction titles for the most checked-out books of 2013, and that “every year, Americans spend nearly three times as much on candy as they do on public libraries.”

Also interesting is that after books/media (54 percent), 51 percent of people who visit libraries are simply looking for a safe and quiet place to spend the time.

What else do libraries offer? WiFi, computers and printers, copiers, story time for children, summer reading programs, meeting space, senior programs, materials for the disabled, books by mail and jobs for ex-inmates.

Enjoy!

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