The immediate wealth of information the Internet provides has led many people to believe it is quickly replacing the library as an information warehouse.
But enough with the hype.
“There?s nothing to indicate a demise in the next 10 to 20 years,” said Carla Hayden, director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore City.
“Library use is going up,” she said, adding that more than 1.5 million people visit the central library and the 20 branches each year.
The parking lot at the main Howard County library in Columbia usually is full, and at the huge facility in Towson ? Baltimore County?s busiest ? patronage is bursting at the seams.
More people visit libraries annually than all sports events combined, according to a 2006 report by the American Library Association.
Difficult economic times tend to prompt more visits, Hayden said.
“People want to know where to find cheap gas, so they come to the library and use our computers for that information,” she said.
“They tend to appreciate the free aspect oflibrary services.”
Baltimore City resident Ebony Mely, 21, who recently was patronizing the central library downtown, said she doesn?t visit as often as she did in high school.
“I think libraries could eventually fade away because now you can find just about anything you want by clicking on your computer,” she said.
However, she said she enjoys the quiet atmosphere and finds her visits to be a pleasant getaway.
Officials in Howard and Baltimore counties concurred that business is booming.
“People are using libraries for more things than ever before,” said Jim Fish, who oversees Baltimore County?s 17 branches.
“We did a study a couple of years ago and found that 78 percent of the county?s households use the library each year ? and that?s amazing market penetration. As lifestyles and demographics change, good libraries adjust what they offer,” Fish said.
Last year, 5.6 million people visited Baltimore County?s libraries ? more than 900,000 to use personal computers ? and several million more visited the Web site.
In Howard County, slightly more than 2 million people visited its six facilities this past year and 90 percent of residents have a library card.
Officials project a 20 percent increase in visits this year and a 10 percent increase in borrowed materials.
“We?re an educational resource,” said Howard library spokeswoman Christie Lassen. “We have the resources people want and they?re definitely using them.”
