Catching Patrons with a Library 2.0 Net: Using Geographic Information Systems to Measure the True Market Area of the Wake County Public Library System

This paper explores the idea that Library 2.0 technologies will help libraries reach patrons deterred by distance. In library location research there is a belief that as distance increases from the library, use decreases. The standard found in past studies indicates that most library users live within two miles of the library. Using geographic information systems to map address data of library card holders, this study collected median distance traveled by patrons and measured the populations of cardholders living near the library. The study compared the median distance to branch specific statistics to determine possible correlations. While there was not enough evidence to support the effect of using a Library 2.0 service model on the distance patrons travel, it did find that Wake County patrons are more dispersed than the accepted tenet suggests. It found the average median distance significantly broader and populations of cardholders not as concentrated around the library