NEW YORK (AP) – Two out of every three adults visited a public library last year and more than nine out of 10 believe libraries will remain necessary in the future despite the rise of the Internet, according to a new study by the American Library Association.

“Because libraries offer free access to all with help from professional librarians they bring opportunity to all and are a vital part of a civil society,” ALA President Michael Gorman said Wednesday in a statement.

The percentage of adults visiting libraries was also about two-thirds in the previous ALA survey, in 2002.

The new study, conducted by telephone in January with just over 1,000 adult Americans, also showed high satisfaction with libraries, with 7 out of 10 saying they were “very” or “extremely” happy, and strong support for increased library funding, with 8 out of 10 saying more money should be spent.

Of those who visited libraries, about 8 out of 10 said they took out of a book, compared to about 3 in 10 who connected to the Internet. Around 1 out of 3 borrowed a CD, video or computer software.

The survey was conducted by KRC Research & Consulting, a communications research firm based in the United States and London. The sampling error margin is plus or minus 3 percentage points.