Call it one of the few positive byproducts of the recession.

Use of area libraries is up. Way up. As the nation deals with an economy in a tailspin, it seems only natural that some things that seemed like luxuries — renting movies, high-speed Internet — are among the first to be jettisoned from the family budget.

Enter the public library, hub of all things intellectual, and location of a lot of DVDs and rows of newish computers with high-speed Internet access.

In North Mankato, circulation has been up for three straight years. In 2006, circulation was 132,929. In 2007 it was 158,589. And in 2008, 180,554.

“I really had expected circulation to level off, but clearly people are trying to find other means of entertainment,” said Lucy Lowry, director of North Mankato’s Taylor Library.

For some, the library simply replaces the video store. But Lowry said it doesn’t take long for other features of the library to catch their eye.

“Maybe some people come in and use it as a video store,” she said. “But I think we have seen people in that category starting to use other services as well.”

Tim Hayes, director of the Blue Earth County Library, concurred.

“I know we’re up on circulation numbers,” he said. “We’re also seeing an increase in Internet use, presumably for job searches, and for typing up resumes. Certain households are cutting out expenses, and one of the first things to go is the Internet.”

Doug Wolfe, lead librarian at the St. Peter Public Library, said his library, as well, has seen an influx using the place as ground zero of their job hunt.

“We have noticed a real increase in people coming in to work on resumes and apply for jobs online,” Wolfe said. “Unfortunately we see the same people coming in daily because they can’t find anything.”

Overall traffic is up in St. Peter, as well.

Wolfe said circulation numbers are going up steadily, and he attributes that to the economy.

“People just don’t have the resources to purchase books and DVDs like they used to, and they’re coming to us.”

Daniel Ziemann, using a computer at the Blue Earth County Library Friday, said he used to pay for Internet service when he lived in Good Thunder. Now that he lives in Mankato, that’s not in the budget.