Skip to content

Dow Jones Index and Circulation: New Records – Coincidence I think not…

Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an ALL TIME high of 14164 points.

Dow Jones Hits New All-Time High

http://mashable.com/2013/03/05/dow-jones-hits-record-high/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at 14,127.82 on Tuesday and quickly passed its previous all-time high of 14,164.53, which was set in late 2007 before the U.S. entered a recession. . . . The Dow has now more than doubled from its low point of less than 6,600 in mid-2009, during the worst of the recession and housing crisis. The gains suggest that investors are once again bullish on the U.S. economy  . . . The S&P 500 is also closing in on its all-time high from 2007 of 1,565.”

I want to see the headline: Public Library circulation and use grows from hundredth straight year.  Do papers just publish the bad news?

If you’ve read Walt Crawford’s blog: Walt at Random: http://walt.lishost.org/

or his book   “Give Us a Dollar and We’ll Give You Back Four (2012-13)” ($19.95),

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/walt-crawford/give-us-a-dollar-and-well-give-you-back-four-2012-13/paperback/product-20413581.html,

you will know that in the aggregate, using the latest IMLS data, that library use is up – across the board – including visits (door counts), programs and program attendance, PC use, reference transactions.  Even though reference is down in some places, it can’t be anything but UP if you include the reinvention of library reference into library digital services.

Sooooo, some folks think that the economy is continuing to tank and that libraries are circling the rim – even some librarians.  Look at the data and Walt’s excellent analyses – he’s completing state by state analytical reports on his blog right now.  Be informed and tell the story, like Walt does in his book.  Public Libraries continue to deliver strong value to their communities and are an excellent public investment.
Some people believe that crime is up over the last 20 years, some think that teen pregnancies are up too.  Again, not true.  Just goes to show that some people let their beliefs and imaginations get in the way of the actual evidence.
Libraries continue to thrive, grow and more than survive – and add better services and experiences to their portfolios for their communities every day.  Public libraries aren’t just adapting to change, they’re inventing the future in their communities.
Celebrate the awesomeness.  And keep up the good work.
Stephen
  • Pro plugin deactivated or invalid

Posted on: March 5, 2013, 6:03 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: stephen

rev="post-17456" 2 comments

2 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. walt crawford said
    on March 6, 2013 11:32 am

    Thanks for that. By the way, the May (not April) 2013 Cites & Insights will include extended notes about “The Mythical Public Library” and the reality of various measures from 2009-2010. Prob. out around April 15.

Continuing the Discussion