Recession Causes New Challenges for Nation’s Libraries
April 3, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
The recession, and the job losses and lack of social services that it has entailed, is turning usually peaceful libraries into emotional and stressful public spaces, The New York Times reports.
As the economic crisis has deepened, libraries are becoming a haven for more people, especially job seekers and those who have fallen on hard times. Libraries across the country are seeing double-digit increases in patronage, from 10 percent to 30 percent over previous years.
As a result, many librarians say they are not equipped to deal with depressed and anxious patrons who have nowhere else to go but their local library.
Read The Chronicle’s article about how the recession is causing problems for charities that provide social services.
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