What Pittsburgh attraction provides $3 of economic output for every public dollar invested?
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. If you find this factoid unlikely, it is because the research that discovered it received an astounding lack of attention.
In 2004, a study by Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development found that the library's 19 branches generated more than 700 jobs at the libraries and nearby businesses that library patrons visit....
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This commentary originally appeared in Pittsburgh Business Times on May 29, 2009. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.