Campaign Materials: Print Ads
The following print public service advertisements are being distributed by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to their 263 member newspapers throughout the state. These ads may be used during 2006, without alteration, in the publications of libraries or other organizations.
These ads have been produced in a 5-3/4" x 10-1/5" quarter page size as recommended by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. A wider 6-7/16" x 10-1/2" quarter page size used by some newspapers may be requested from the Wisconsin Library Association office. We are also providing smaller ads in 1/8 page size.
The Ads
The ads are provided below. You can select PDF or JPG formats. Use the PDF format if you will be sending the ad to a newspaper for printing. Use the JPG if you want to insert the ad into your own publication. You will need to right click on the image once you have clicked on a JPG link, then select "Save Image As" or "Save Picture As" to save it to your computer.
- It's the card that pays us all back
- If knowledge is power, libraries are power plants
- An investment with a 400% return
- Even rocket scientists need librarians
- Libraries keep us moving at the speed of life
- More people visit libraries than all these sporting events. Combined!
More Information About the Ads
Below are justifications for the claims made in these ads.
$4 or 400% Return
A statewide study of public libraries in Florida found that that public libraries return $6.54 in economic benefits for every $1 invested in them. South Carolina’s public libraries have been found to return $4.48 for every dollar invested. A number of studies nationwide have shown that public libraries return an average of $4.69 in benefits for every $1 invested. Our claim is a conservative estimate based on the national average. It is a goal for the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries to sponsor research about the economic benefits provided by Wisconsin’s libraries of all types.
Top 10 for circulation and visits; 19th in funding
The latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics rank Wisconsin public libraries 8th nationally in the number of items borrowed (circulation) per capita and 9th in the number of library visits per capita. Wisconsin public libraries rank 19th in total operating revenue per capita.
Number of visits and tickets
38.9 million visits were made to Wisconsin’s public, college, and university libraries in 2004. The number of visits to school and special libraries would bring this total even higher. In comparison, only 5.3 million people attended major sporting events in Wisconsin, including Brewers, Bucks, Packers, UW campus, and Marquette University games.
800% increase in ILL
Over the past 15 years the number of books and other items shared by Wisconsin libraries grew over 800%. Wisconsin libraries of all types are sharing their collections through interlibrary loan in order to provide all Wisconsin residents with the materials and information they need. By the way, Wisconsin public libraries rank 1st in the nation in the number of interlibrary loans received per 1,000 population (686.3).
State’s share of support
Public library service in Wisconsin is partnership between cities, villages, counties and the state. State law requires that DPI request funding for public library systems at a level equal to 13% of municipal and county expenditures for library service. Unfortunately, state support has eroded to less than 9%.
Funding is in jeopardy
In today’s tight fiscal environment many libraries of all types have endured budget cuts. School libraries in communities across the state have seen their schools reduce professional library staff. A University of Wisconsin System initiative to enhance library service has not been funded, and librarians in special libraries are some of the first positions in their organizations to be cut during a fiscal crisis. Those libraries that haven’t already taken budget cuts are in jeopardy of seeing their budgets cut in the future.