Library Value Calculator

Interested to know the value of your library usage? We have this handy calculator to figure out how much you save by using the Topsfield Town Library. The Value Calculator was originally developed by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Chelmsford Public Library; formatting help was provided by resources provided by the Maine State Library, and value calculations were updated by Topsfield Town Library staff in 2022. Using this value calculator as a guide, we estimate in FY2024 that for each dollar invested in the library, the library generated more than double in value for the Topsfield community!

Library Services	Value of Services	How Value is Calculated
Total Amount of Adult Books Borrowed (Hardcover)	$	The per book value ($18) is based by taking the average “buy new” on Amazon.com (not including shipping costs) for the items New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestseller list on the week on June 12, 2022, as measured on June 8, 2022.
Total Amount of Adult Books Borrowed (Paperback)	$	The per book value ($11.50) is based by taking the average “buy new” on Amazon.com (not including shipping costs) for the items New York Times Trade Fiction Paperback bestseller list on the week on June 12, 2022, as measured on June 8, 2022.
Young Adult Books Borrowed	$	The per book value ($15.20) is based by taking the average “buy new” on Amazon.com (not including shipping costs) for the items New York Times Young Adult Hardcover bestseller list on the week on June 12, 2022, as measured on June 8, 2022.
Children’s Books Borrowed (Picture Books and Children’s Series)	$	The per book value ($10) is based by taking the average “buy new” on Amazon.com (not including shipping costs) for the items New York Times Children’s Picture Book bestseller list and Children’s Series list on the week on June 12, 2022, as measured on June 8, 2022.
Children’s Books Borrowed (Hardcover)	$	The per book value ($12) is based by taking the average “buy new” on Amazon.com (not including shipping costs) for the items New York Times Children’s Middle School Hardcover bestseller list on the week on June 12, 2022, as measured on June 8, 2022.
Months per year with Audiobooks Borrowed via Overdrive (Libby)	$	As of June 2022, the cost for an Audible Plus subscription (allowing for the streaming of an audiobook via Amazon) was $7.95 per month. You can access audiobooks for free via Overdrive/Libby with your card, or borrow physical CDs and Playaways at the library.
Months in a year with ebooks Borrowed via Overdrive (Libby)	$	As of June 2022, the cost for an Kindle Plus subscription (allowing for the reading of e-books through Amazon) was $9.99/month. You can access ebooks for free via Overdrive/Libby with your card.
Months with Movies Borrowed from Library	$	As you may know, there are many streaming options available now. The Library is home to the Kanopy streaming service, and has DVDs to check out, with many of the newest and most exciting titles. Maybe we save you a subscription to one of the most popular streaming services out there right now (est. value $5/month).
Items ordered via Interlibrary Loan	$	Have you requested items from other libraries in the consortium or state? The Massachusetts Library Association estimated the value of getting items from other libraries as $25/request in 2013.
Museum Passes Borrowed	$	Were you aware that the library offers discount passes to many museums in the area, including the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, and the Boston Children’s Museum? We estimate that each use of a pass saves you approximately $20.
Months using Newspaper Resources at the Library	$	Did you know that the Topsfield Town Library offers free online access to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Boston Herald, as well as database access to the Boston Globe (and much more?) We determined that value based on the cost of monthly access to the Boston Globe online ($27.72). We offer more newspapers to access- for free!
Adult Programs and Classes Attended	$	Have you attended any adult programs hosted by the Topsfield Town Library? The Massachusetts Library Association estimated the value of attending each program to be $15/event in 2013.
Children’s Programs Attended	$	Have you attended any children programs hosted by the Topsfield Town Library? The Massachusetts Library Association estimated the value of attending each program to be $12/event in 2013.
Computer Use per hour (i.e. Internet, MS Word, etc.)	$	The Massachusetts Library Association estimated the value of computer use at the library to be $10/hour in 2013.
Reference Questions Asked	$	Have you consulted with one of our fine librarians on staff about research or genealogical questions? We roughly estimate the value of reference assistance at the library to be $7 per question.
Database Usage	$	Have you used databases available to you through the library, including New York Times Cooking, Creativebug, Consumer Reports, Ancestry.com Library Edition, or HeritageQuest? We conservatively estimate $5 per use of these resources.
Room Usage	$	We estimate the value of a room reservation to be $25.
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