Stiudy finds libraries make life feel better

Nice News -  A recent study confirmed libraries really do make life better — and in more ways than even the most avid bibliophile might expect, Literary Hub reports. Researchers with the New York Public Library surveyed 1,974 users to see how visiting the library affected their overall well-being. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority reporting that library visits contribute to their personal growth and make them more empathetic and optimistic about the world. As one patron said, “It offers us hope that we can do something, that we can make a change, that we can advance.”
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Somewhat like a runner’s high for readers, 92% of respondents also reported feeling calm or peaceful after visiting a library. Those good vibes even extend to e-only users, with 58% reporting a sense of optimism from digital library interactions ...
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Perhaps most moving, though, is that the positive well-being impacts were found to be highest in lower income communities, with 73% of those surveyed in lower income zip codes reporting that the library positively affects their “feeling that there are people who really care about them.”