Abstract
This study examined public library use intensity across seven metropolitan cities in South Korea, considering spatial dependence and the surrounding urban environment. From 485 public libraries, model-specific analytical samples were constructed for visits per m2, loans per m2, and borrowers per m2. Urban facility variables within 1- and 2-km catchments were used as predictors, and academy density was corrected using education office records geocoded using the Kakao Local API. Moran’s I and Anselin–Florax Lagrange Multiplier diagnostics were used to assess spatial dependence among libraries and compare ordinary least squares, spatial autoregressive (SAR), and spatial error model results. Moran’s I indicated significant spatial clustering across all three outcome variables. SAR results revealed that the indirect component accounted for 46.3% and 40.8% of the total academy effect on visits and loans per m2, respectively, representing model-based indirect effects rather than direct evidence of user movement. A supplementary negative binomial model using library floor area as an exposure did not corroborate the academy-density association, indicating that this finding is specific to the area-normalized model rather than scale-invariant. These findings highlight the importance of considering spatial dependence and urban facility contexts when interpreting public library use intensity at the regional scale.