Today we have visitors from a Turkey. Therefore, we have made a presentation of the Danish Library Association and our special organization's structure. We will also present the Danish think tank Future Libraries and their study Economic Value of Public Libraries Libraries of the Future – Knowledge, debate and Network The Danish Think Tank has the ambition to: • Produce knowledge, analysis and cross-disciplinary activities about the future role of the libraries • Generate professional, public and political debate and awareness of the role of libraries now and in the future A bottom-up initiative The Danish libraries face many challenges such as digitalization and changes in expectations and demands on both physical and digital services; lack of public awareness of library services, changes in library user behavior, lack of political awareness and changes in the role of the librarian. The Think Tank was initiated by the Danish Library Association (DB). The Think Tank is a two-year project, started October 2012, and co-financed by the participating libraries, library organizations and central library players The Economic Value of Public Libraries The Danish Think Tank Libraries of the Future & Copenhagen Economics has conducted the first study on the economic impact of the Danish public library. The Danish public libraries provide multiple services to the Danish public today, which overall seems to be well received by the public. However, the contributions are often measured in terms of library use (e.g. how many books were borrowed) and user satisfaction surveys, which are far from adequate when we want to discuss the role libraries play in modern society. This study digs deeper and provide the first assessment of the economic value of the public libraries in Denmark. Read more UK version See the presentation www.biblioteksdebat.dk

1. Economic Impact Studies:
Tools for Political Awereness?
Copenhagen, January 22, 2016
Lotte Hviid Dhyrbye
The Danish Think Tank Libraries of the Future

2. 1) The Danish Think Tank Libraries of the Future
2) Political Influence through economic impact studies of
public libraries.
European project:
- Denmark
- UK
- Barcelona/Spain
FOCUS

3. Think Tank of Libraries of the Future
Workshops
& Conferences
Debate Projects
Surveys Networks
Think Tank generates knowledge and debate (professional & political) about the role and
development of the libraries in the Danish welfare- and knowledge society in a more and more
digital context.

4. A bottum up- initiative
Public Libraries From:
Ballerup Municipality • Billund Municipality • Esbjerg Municipality • Frederikssund Municipality
• Gladsaxe Municipality • Municipality of Glostrup • Herning Municipality • Municipality of
Hjørring • Holbæk Municipality • Horsens Municipality • Kolding Municipality • The Municpality
of Køge • Nyborg Municipality • Næstved Municipality • Odense Municipality • Randers
Municipality • Roskilde Municipality • Silkeborg Municipality• Slagelse Municipality •
Svendborg Municipality • Sønderborg Municipality • Vejle Municipality • Viborg Municipality •
Aabenraa Municipality • Aalborg Municipality • Municipality of Aarhus
Library organisations
Association of Danish Public Library Managers
The Danish Library Association (Chairman)
Danish Association of Research Libraries
The Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS
Other members
Axiell
Moos-Bjerre Analysis

5. Libraries of the future – a segment analysis
The analysis has generated the most detailed collection of data and report focusing
on the use of libraries, barriers and drivers conducted by Moos Bjerre Analysis. More
than 2000 people participated, with special focus on young people between age 15 – 29.
The report generated detailed operational knowledge around 10 segments and strategic
policy input on the role of the public libraries.
Volunteers at public libraries
Report about volunteers at public libraries, facts, values and expectation. The report was
launched at a conference with focus on ‘new ways of volunteering’, democracy, citizenship,
participation and the role of the libraries of the future.
The public library: a design – anthropologic approach
A cooperation between the Danish Agency for Culture, Danish School for Media and Journalism and the Think Tank to
produce anthropologic data and concepts for the public libraries of the future. A design anthropologic team
developed concepts and development paths together with 8 public libraries and their users and non-users.
Reading preferences at students
Analysis of reading preferences of 500 Danish students. The survey’ focus is on the preferences for digital or physical
materials, gender, level of education and the expectation and needs of the digital and physical library in general.
Some examples

6. First study in Denmark:
Economic Value of Public Libraries

7. European Project: Demonstrating Economic Impact of
Public Libraries
Need of:
 New and ‘competitive’ arguments and improve library advocacy
 Expand and rethink methods to measure the role and impact of public
libraries across Europe
 Expand the debate of the future role of the libraries
 Share knowledge and experience across boarders
Funded by Reading & Writing Foundation

8. Ambitions & expected products:
 European political key- messages & hearing in the European Cultural Commitee
 European Learning Network on measurement of the impact
of public libraries (Knowledge and methods-sharing)
 Script on how-to-do/existing experiences & fact-sheets
 ‘Digital platform’ for knowledge sharing
 Balancing numbers and narratives
Projects ends May 2016 (?)

9. How?
4 workshops in 4 countries: (UK; Croatia, Netherlands & Spain):
Results from different studies:
- Methods in Economic Impact Studies
- Usage (political, professional, communication strategies)
- Results & impact
- Balancing numbers & narratives
- European messeages
Barcelona november 2015
Zagreb, nov. 2015
London, november 2015
Split, december. 2015

10. Approaching the target
Bruxelles, december- 2015
Rikke Karslson, MEP, DK
Andrew Lewer, MEP, UK
Bruxelles, february- 2016
European hearing, Culutral Committee, Bruxelles, 2016?

11. Demonstrating Economic Impact - The New Black
3 studies from Denmark, UK & spain
• Background
• Proces & methods
• Mainresults
• Effect & reactions

12. • Changing role: Not the only access to knowledge and much more than just books
• Library contribution is mesured in user satisfaction & book loans
• Focus on activities = output and not the impact on society – what does it matter
• Need of an alternative to the narrative (and many words) about education and social
cohesion - very good arguments but to long to explain
• New advocacy arguments both towards the polical agenda
and officials
• Entering the battlefield of welfare – why shouldn’t cultural
institutions use economic arguments when otheres do?
• New input to the debate about culture, libraries & its con-
tribution to the welfare system
- Prioritisation – both politically and internally in the libraries
Common background

13. Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Reducing municapal costs = also libraries
2 % reduction on cultural activites = 600 mio. DKK
50 % of the Danes prefer to reduce costs to cultural
institutions and spend it on health, education & the
elderly
Culture – no economy!

14. Main Results
3 economic impact factors:
 Cultural & social impact (550 mio. Euro)
 Contribution through reading (250 mio.Euro
 Contribution through digital transition
(27 mio. Euro)
 Annual costs = 340 mio. Euro
Public libraries are a very good business for society

15. Cultural & social impact = 530 mio. Euro
.
Method: Willingness To Pay (WTP) based upon a
Norwegian study from 2004 (Aaby)
Libraries has great value to society due to:
• Your own invidual use
• The use of other people
• Cultural & social institution
• Resolving the market distortion – ”broad cultural offer”
• Local function of sociel cohesion, meeting place for all (also non-etnich danes)
Value: 530 mio. Euro – much more than annual costs = 340 mio. Euro

16. Value through Digital Transistion
50.000 Danes get their computer skills upgraded at the
libraries every year = 1,1 % of the population. Thereby
accelerate and ease the transistion to digital society
through:
- Public savings from transistion to email (20 mio. DKK)
- Public savings from digital selfservice (11 mio. DKK)
- Personal gains in by on-line banking (9 mio. DKK)
- Personal gains by time savings (5 mio.)
Total savings 27 mio. Euro

17. Contribution through reading
Libraries contribute with DKK 2bn annually through higher education productivity
gains through three interrelated effects:
1) Libraries improve children’s reading skills
2) Better reding skills directly affect educational level
3) A high level of education produces greater economic benefit =0,1% of GDP

18. Logic model

19. Reactions

20. Aldermen and mayors in political debate March 2015 in Aarhus
Impact of Libraries on the political agenda

21. Perspectives
Core-competencies
Big potential to do more working with scholls
Libray are doing much more f.ex. highscools
The libraries on the local agenda

22. Libraries are heros
And not supposed to be mesured in dollars – instead they should tell the good story
Marianne Jelved, former Minister of Culture

23. 1. Key Message = Happiness & well-being (primary benefit)
Library use has an Impact on people’s overall quality of life :
Method: Measurement through contingent valuation (CV):
2000 users and non-users were asked directly
their Willingness to Pay (WTP) for library services as
represented by paying additional council tax (primary benefits).
Result: Annual WTP for local library services: £723.4 mio.
Conducted by: researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science
& Simetrica. Using recognized method (Green Book). Launched in 2015
The health and wellbeing benefits of public libraries, UK

24. 2. Key message: Library use = reduction in medical services
Libraries may make a contribution to society though their
impacts on health.
The UK-study looks at the potential savings due to reductions
in medical service usage/GP visits as a result of improvements
in general health from library service usage.
This is estimated using exchequer cost savings estimates (secondary benefits) and
based upon ‘the logic model’.
Savings: £27.5 million per year (in average cost savings) = £1,32 per person
1,32 £ pr. person per year

25. ‘Corridor strategy’
Indirectly influence on politicians via Library Managers & organisations and
talking to influence makers in the corridors
No Communication Strategy (a matter of ressources)
Professional identity

26. The value of public libraries in society (2014)
focus on 4 impact factors: Cultural, social, educational and economic.
Economic focus: The return on investment of MLN libraries’ (ROI)
Result:
The expenditure on public libraries, is an investment with economic benefits for the
Province both directly and indirectly.
For every euro of public money invested in MLN libraries,
the return of investment for each euro invested:
Direct benefit: €1 -> €2.25
Indirect benefit: €1 -> €4.25
The Barcelona Province Municipal Libraries Network (MLN)

27. Reflections & conclusion (national level)
• A new argument in the public debate -> the public libraries actually has a
great impact on the BNP (new perspective)
What did it change ?
• A great focus on the public libraries maintasks and core competencies
• A new focus on the potential in cooperating with other local players
• A new proffessional self-understanding /better professionel confidence
• We took the first steps and libraries have asked for more at a local level

28. Conclusions at a national level
It works: “The power of numbers” to access the policy agenda
Robust evidence - and important to have a recognized methode to avoid any
discussion about the facts.
You can change the perception of libraries – both public, politically &
professional
The communication strategy are a full time job – and you need to be prepared
(either frontpage (DK) or corridor strategy (UK))
You can’t have it all (economist are expensive) and in the end libraries ask for
more – because it works

29. European impact ?
A new perception of and debate on the role of public
libraries and impact on society
- Health
- Reading
- Social cohesion

30. Thank you!!
Lotte Hviid Dhyrbye
lhd@db.dk