The modern public library in a single infographic

Something to show people who think that public libraries are just for books

As a number of H.A.T.T.E.R.s will recall, I’m a huge fan of and advocate for public libraries and I volunteer on a number of local and provincial library boards. At a recent meeting of the NBPLB (New Brunswick Public Libraries Board) we were shown the following poster celebrating Canadian Library Month and I thought it was a great summary of the services that libraries deliver.

The original image was created by the New Brunswick Public Library Service

This image is quite fitting because it uses the metaphor of an iceberg to contrast what many people think libraries are all about vs. what they actually do. Books are a crucial part of public libraries but they are literally the tip of the iceberg (sorry, could not resist). Programs, paper and electronic periodicals, all kinds of resources… public libraries are incredibly versatile in all the services that they offer. You couldn’t fit all of them into this chart… programs alone would require several charts!

All done without the aid of chat bots, hence the human connection that the poster mentions.

If you’ve got someone with an outdated view of what public libraries do, show them this poster and help educate them!