Communities everywhere, from Auburn, Ind., to Cerritos, Calif., to Winchester, Va., are building new libraries. American Libraries' 2002 Facilities Showcase counted 120 new multi-million-dollar library construction projects happening this year around the United States. American Libraries is the magazine of the American Library Association.

One reason for all the new construction: A robust library system can attract new business.

"A vibrant library system is a selling point for our city," said John Delaney, mayor of Jacksonville, Fla.

Jacksonville will open a new $95 million, 300,000 square foot main library in 2004. Six new and 12 renovated neighborhood libraries are also part of The Better Jacksonville Plan, which voters approved in 2000.

"In a knowledge-based global economy, access to information is vital to everyone," Delaney said. "By investing in our library system now, we're meeting our city's future civic and cultural needs. Businesses seeking to relocate to, or expand in, Jacksonville recognize our proactive approach to creating an environment that fosters business, cultural and civic development."

When The Better Jacksonville Plan library projects are completed, Jacksonville will have the highest square footage per capita of any library system in Florida.

In Nashville, Tenn., meanwhile, a new $52 million public library facility has been a boon to at least one influential business group.

"Having a well-established library system, and its new facilities, assists us in the recruitment process," said Mark Herbison, director of economic development for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce sponsors events and stages chamber and department meetings at the new downtown public library facility.

Besides public libraries, business recruiters showcase corporate, engineering and museum libraries (often referred to as "special libraries") in their marketing literature and Web sites.

"We routinely indicate some of our special libraries in our listings of community cultural amenities, and in our customized relocation Web sites that we do for individual projects," said Beverly Kerr, director of research and information for the Kansas City Area Development Council. "We also link to the Kansas City Public Library site on our relocation sites because it offers a good roundup of community links, area history and images.

"For some high-technology or science-related projects, we have highlighted the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology, and the research and/or library resources of area universities and medical schools," she added.

Libraries are valuable community resources. Mary Jo Lynch, director of the Office for Research & Statistics for the American Library Association, cited the numerous "Best Places" magazines, books and lists that include libraries as a measure of quality of life.

"Usually, these lists of best places include the public library as a factor," Lynch said. "The size of the library's collection or annual circulation might be used as one of those variables to indicate that there's a healthy cultural and intellectual environment in that community."

A public library, if maintained and administered well, increases the property values in the community, according to several national studies.

Administrators of the Cameron Park branch library system near Sacramento, Calif., used some of these studies, plus their own research, to obtain funding through a county library benefits assessment.

The table on page 8 shows how many libraries there are in the 50 states and District of Columbia.

Michael Keating is research editor for Expansion Management magazine. He is also a member of both the American Library Association and Special Libraries Assn. You can reach him at mkeating@penton.com.