Quote:
Originally Posted by Monahammer
This is an interesting question, i suspect you asked it indignantly/ to try and make a point about public investment in the library.
I would be willing to bet that the outcome would be different than you expect.
Here's a great study done by the Indiana Business Research Centre on the economic impact of Indiana's public library system: https://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/studies...aries_2007.pdf
The executive summary notes that direct economic benefit of $2.38 resulted from every $1 of cost on libraries (not including any indirect impact, which the arena $$ return value you posted certainly does.) This figure rises substantially if you also include wages and public expenditures the libraries need to make to operate.
If proportional, that study would imply that calgary's central library will generate ~ ($245 million *$2.38/1$)= $583.1 million
Let's round down and say $500 million in direct economic value according to academics. |
And all of this is quite apart from the social value of having inclusive public spaces where everyone feels welcome and part of the community. As I understand it (though I am admittedly far from an expert) having these sorts also benefits the community through decreased crime and improved health (both physical and mental).
__________________
"Life of Russian hockey veterans is very hard," said Soviet hockey star Sergei Makarov. "Most of them don't have enough to eat these days. These old players are Russian legends."
|