ArticlePloS one2026
Voters reveal public library value: Evidence from US referendums.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Qualitative research has shown public libraries to be well-loved institutions. But, as they are increasingly under attack in the US, quantitatively understanding the drivers of public voting support can help policy makers establish allocation priorities. Using novel voter response datasets (2010-2022) at the library system-year level nationally (N = 982), and at the precinct-year level within Washington state (N = 5,380), referendum modeling approaches are used to investigate local preferences for public libraries. Further, this study probes environmental condition effects on preferences. Results indicate that with precinct-year level estimations, voter preferences for facility access overwhelm other effects. Where a precinct contains a library building, the probability of a Yes vote increases 13%. Library support decreases 4% for every additional mile traveled to a location and is sensitive to extreme heat events. Taken together, the results demonstrate significant empirical support for libraries as critical infrastructure.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.