Halo Spending
Public library users often combine trips to the public library with other activities such as shopping, eating at restaurants, etc. The spending by users in these activities is referred to as “halo” spending. If there were no public libraries these other activities and corresponding spending would decline to some degree. Approximately 35 percent of survey respondents reported performing extra activities in conjunction with a trip to the library. See Figure 15.

Figure 15 - Other Activities Performed During Trip to Public Library

Those who visited other places along with the library reported spending an average of $47.90 on these trips. A 1997 study found that approximately 23 percent of these purchases would not occur if the library did not exist. See What Happens When a Public Library Service Closes Down? Proctor, R., Usherwood, B., Sobczyk, G. Library Management. MBC University Press, vol. 18, No. 1, 1997, pp. 59-64.