Library Plays Important Role in Keokuk Economy

Has the Keokuk community carefully considered the economic aspects of having a first class regional library in town?  If not, please note the impacts on retail spending, the growth of entrepreneurial activity and Keokuk's ability to maintain an educated and enthusiastic work force?
     Of the library's 86,779 visits in 2004, somewhere in the neighborhood of one-fourth come from other communities where library service is unavailable.  These patrons buy lunch, shop, buy gas and then return home to come another day.  Today, I stopped at the library to print a letter and then went over to the Ace store to look for some industrial size paper clips for my tax filing, stopped at Walgreens to buy some high fiber cookies and then filled up with gas.  In a typical week, I will drop about $100.  If it were not for the library, I would not come.
     The $100 I spend works its way through the business community generating income and employment.  Ace, Walgreens and the gas station pay their employees, who in turn spend in the community and so on.  Multiply my spending by well over 10,000 visits by out-of-towners and you have a substantial economic impact every year.  And it all starts with my spending because of the library. And then there are small businesses that start with an information search in the library's collection.
     Finally, there are the nice folks who run the library.  Most of these neighbors have been serving the information needs of the community for decades; do they serve to be out looking for a job?  All this especially in a community without easily available Internet services.
     Where would they go to find a computer?
(Note:  Keokuk Library Director Emma Lee Lahmeyer estimates the number of out-of-town visitors per year at 18 to 20 percent.)