Letter: Use Of Jones Library Has Declined Steadily Since 2006

With due respect for Carol Johnson’s right to support the Jones Library project, her “correction” to my letter of Jan. 5 (“Questions federal funding for Jones Library”) splits hairs when she states that, “In fact, the Jones Library is not the 22nd largest by size but rather by utilization. Jones Library is among the busiest, not the biggest physically.”

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) publishes statistics for all public libraries in the commonwealth. In its most recent report on Main Library Facilities Gross Square Feet, Amherst’s Jones Library has slipped a place to 23rd — still bigger than the libraries in much larger cities like Lowell, Brockton and Waltham.

Johnson’s contention that the Jones is the 22nd biggest library by utilization is not completely accurate and omits important information. The MBLC’s latest Federal Public Library Statistics Report shows the Jones Library received 189,020 visits in the 2020 reporting period, ranking it 24th in the state. However, this is 83,000 fewer than the 272,085 visitors it received in 2019, and less than half the attendance figure of 400,000 reported in 2006. The report also shows that some communities with smaller libraries like Holden, Watertown, and Northampton have more visitors annually than the Jones. 

One wonders if similar spin doctoring played a role in persuading US Rep. Jim McGovern to pursue a $1.1 million federal earmark for the Jones Library demolition/expansion project. 

Rita K Burke

Rita K. Burke is a resident of Amherst