Do you ever find it difficult to convey the value of a library to someone who doesn't use it? Myself and the Consulting Services team recently asked some non-library users why they don't use the library. If my colleagues had the same experience I did, they found it frustrating to hear answers like "I don't read" or "it's inconvenient". We know there are many arguments to refute those reasons, but no matter how passionate we are about the subject it might help to have more than just our own convictions to convince some people.
A number of library value calculators and other studies are available to assist us in clearly articulating the real value of libraries - even to those who may not use them themselves. Stephen Abrams popular blog Stephen's Lighthouse, includes one post which lists the variety of tools available for 'calculating' the value of public libraries: http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/
These can be a great advocacy tool. Or even if you just want to prove to your cranky uncle that libraries ARE valuable, these resources are a great way to help you get your point across.
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