As a city planner doing data-driven policy design, how do you see the role of libraries?

When we talk about public space, the first thing that comes to mind are parks. But libraries are public space too, and ULC connects them to social and economic value.

What can you glean from anonymized foot-traffic data from libraries?

The data shows how many folks came to the library, how long they stayed, and where they went afterward. We get upticks when a library hosts a major event.

Why are these walk-ins important for downtowns?

Office usage is still about 55% of what it was pre-pandemic, but library visits have continued to increase. If you’re managing a city, you can’t bank on offices to keep your city vibrant, but libraries can be counted on as reliable contributors, attracting people to space.

Can ULC tell what resources patrons use once they’re in the door?

In our Library Insights Survey, we compile data from our member libraries. We’ve found that folks aren’t necessarily using the desktop computers anymore; they’re reserving rooms and using libraries as flexible workspaces. Over the past three years, physical circulation has stayed stable, while electronic resource usage has seen a 10%–25% trend increase year over year.

How will ULC build on these insights?

People say libraries are important, but we can move from the abstract to the concrete: if you’re seeing this level of usage today, here’s what we expect in five years.