Why Texas Public Libraries Pay Back Almost Five Dollars for Every One
Trill News Briefing
The Story
Texas public libraries return $4.74 for every dollar spent, a new Texas Library Association study finds, yet many still run on staffs cut since the pandemic.
The study priced library services such as books, internet access, résumé help and public programs against what Texans would pay for them on the open market.
Researchers put the total economic benefit at $3.8 billion and counted about 11,200 jobs supported by public libraries, from small rural systems to large urban ones.
Shirley Robinson, the association's executive director, singled out classes that teach seniors to use a mouse, get online and pay bills, keeping them socially engaged and active in the economy.
She said some Texas libraries have cut staff by almost half over the past five or six years, shortening hours and thinning services.
Many library buildings date to the 1960s and 1970s and now serve fast growing populations.
The association hopes the numbers persuade state and local governments to restore staffing to levels before the pandemic and reinvest in those aging buildings.
The study priced library services such as books, internet access, résumé help and public programs against what Texans would pay for them on the open market.
Researchers put the total economic benefit at $3.8 billion and counted about 11,200 jobs supported by public libraries, from small rural systems to large urban ones.
Shirley Robinson, the association's executive director, singled out classes that teach seniors to use a mouse, get online and pay bills, keeping them socially engaged and active in the economy.
She said some Texas libraries have cut staff by almost half over the past five or six years, shortening hours and thinning services.
Many library buildings date to the 1960s and 1970s and now serve fast growing populations.
The association hopes the numbers persuade state and local governments to restore staffing to levels before the pandemic and reinvest in those aging buildings.
Why It Matters
The figure arrives as Texas cities hunt for savings, and libraries are an easy line to trim. San Antonio approved a budget cutting 39 library positions to close a $158.1 million deficit, the San Antonio Current reports, the same week the study landed. The return also rests on assigned market prices rather than cash, which leaves room for skeptics. The next test is in Austin: lawmakers may prefile bills from November 9, and the 90th Legislature convenes January 12, 2027.
Go Deeper
Read the original reporting at Texas Standard.
Read Full Story at Texas Standard →