This indicator measures the average distance of each census block center to the nearest library. Library access is a proxy measure for retail density.

Everybody should have public library access, which can impact one’s health literacy, quality of life, and social connections within the community. According to the CDC, libraries can improve health literacy and connect community residents to health-related information and resources.¹⁵⁷ By connecting residents with free internet access and providing education on finding reliable information online, libraries improve health literacy and foster people’s ability to advocate for their own health needs. Libraries also advertise and distribute information about local and state health efforts and connect people with local health resources.¹⁵⁸ For example, public libraries in Salt Lake County connect visitors to immunization information during children’s story times and provide Naloxone, free of cost, through a partnership with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Public libraries can also support healthier outcomes by improving people’s educational attainment and access to economic opportunities. Many libraries provide programs to advance literacy for both children and adults, and can thus address disparities. Because lower income individuals and people of color are more likely to use libraries more than other public spaces, libraries provide an opportunity to reach these communities. Studies identify public libraries as mechanisms for reducing and confronting place-based health disparities at the community level. 

Public libraries foster social cohesion by organizing community events and connecting people with groups like book clubs. The City Library in Salt Lake City organizes a weekly and monthly club and provides resources for people to create their own book clubs.

Improving library access requires a range of strategies to assess the existing neighborhood amenities, determine the market feasibility for new uses, plan for equitable access, and make the neighborhood a safe, active and healthy place to live, work, learn and play. Jurisdictions seeking to improve their library access should first Plan for Smart Growth. Planning efforts should typically start with an assessment of current land uses, centers of activity, retail centers, job centers, community needs, health conditions and gaps. Planners should consult neighborhood, transportation, and economic indicators. A variety of resources on smart growth are available, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Smart Location Database, Smart Growth America's website, the U.S. Green Building Council Development Density Guidelines, and the Urban Land Institute's Ten Principles for Rebuilding Library Access.

In addition to land use planning, communities should also Improve Transportation Access to Support Increased Library Access. Communities should create opportunities for new businesses, retail and other essential destinations to be sited locally, and accommodate a range of transportation options.

Communities should also focus on economic development, especially Developing Community Economic Capacity for small businesses, job training providers, and other employment and workforce services. They can use community land trusts and other land preservation strategies to ensure that the neighborhood's mix of destinations is culturally and economically appropriate to community residents.

For more information on library access, see: the National Library of Medicine, All of Us Research Program, and the Public Library Association’s Digital Health Literacy Curriculum, Public libraries: A community-level resource to advance population health, and Bringing Public Health and Public Libraries Together.