By: Nicole Miller
When we begin to think of the technological boom our society has undergone in the last decade, the state of our public libraries and their ability to thrive and maintain, often comes into question. Public libraries have roots in America dating back to the 18th century. With the rise of e-books and e-readers, one cannot help but to wonder where the fate of these institutions lies.
Pew Research center, specifically their Internet and American Life project, has recently published a report, Younger Americans and Public Libraries, analyzing the relationship between the two. I must say, as a younger American who patronizes the library, I was intrigued by the results.
When one thinks of who continues to frequent the library, the millennial generation, ages 16 to 29, may be the last group on the list. This generation is notoriously cited for their highly digitized lives, with 98% who use the Internet and 90% who use social networking. While this generation thrives off of technology, 62% of young adults feel, “there is a lot of useful, important information that is not available on the Internet,” compared to 53% of older Americans who believe the same. When it comes to reading, 88% of young adults have read within the last year compared to 79% of those over age 30. E-readers are also becoming increasingly popular amongst those ages 18-29, with 37% readership within the last year.
While there is note of strong readership and frequency of library visits, 50% of young adults to 47% of older adults, the overall position libraries play in communities is seemingly oblivious to this generation, in my opinion, for now. A staggering 19% of young Americans, compared to 32% older Americans, feel their families would be greatly impacted if their local library were to close. 51% young Americans feel there would be a major impact on their communities, compared to 67% older Americans. Millennials are next in line to determine the atmosphere of our communities. Initial thoughts may cause great concern, but it is important to remember the developing nature of this generation.
The Millennial generation is comprised of older teens, ages 16 to 17, college-aged adults, ages 18 to 24, and young professionals, as I refer to them, ages 25 to 29. There are great differences amongst these three groups and their relationships with libraries. Older teens are most likely to borrow books than purchase and seek more help at the library than their counterparts, but are less likely to highly value them. College-aged adults are cited as being less likely to use the library and purchasing must of their books. Young professionals are more likely to find their libraries to be important to them and their families, with 42% being parents.
The growth of a person from age 16 to age 29 is substantial, which leads me back to my point. The realized importance of libraries in communities is comprehended through growth and maturity, further illustrated in Pew Center’s findings noting older adults, including those 65 & older that are least likely to visit, but understand the value. With that being said, it is important to note that young adults credit libraries for embracing technology. This acknowledgement from a generation whose lives seem to revolve around technology, gives me great hope for the future of our libraries.
Read the entire report on Young Americans and Public Libraries here. Provided in this report is a demographic portrait of younger Americans, reading habits, technology use and their relationship with public libraries.
When we begin to think of the technological boom our society has undergone in the last decade, the state of our public libraries and their ability to thrive and maintain, often comes into question. Public libraries have roots in America dating back to the 18th century. With the rise of e-books and e-readers, one cannot help but to wonder where the fate of these institutions lies.
Pew Research center, specifically their Internet and American Life project, has recently published a report, Younger Americans and Public Libraries, analyzing the relationship between the two. I must say, as a younger American who patronizes the library, I was intrigued by the results.
When one thinks of who continues to frequent the library, the millennial generation, ages 16 to 29, may be the last group on the list. This generation is notoriously cited for their highly digitized lives, with 98% who use the Internet and 90% who use social networking. While this generation thrives off of technology, 62% of young adults feel, “there is a lot of useful, important information that is not available on the Internet,” compared to 53% of older Americans who believe the same. When it comes to reading, 88% of young adults have read within the last year compared to 79% of those over age 30. E-readers are also becoming increasingly popular amongst those ages 18-29, with 37% readership within the last year.
While there is note of strong readership and frequency of library visits, 50% of young adults to 47% of older adults, the overall position libraries play in communities is seemingly oblivious to this generation, in my opinion, for now. A staggering 19% of young Americans, compared to 32% older Americans, feel their families would be greatly impacted if their local library were to close. 51% young Americans feel there would be a major impact on their communities, compared to 67% older Americans. Millennials are next in line to determine the atmosphere of our communities. Initial thoughts may cause great concern, but it is important to remember the developing nature of this generation.
The Millennial generation is comprised of older teens, ages 16 to 17, college-aged adults, ages 18 to 24, and young professionals, as I refer to them, ages 25 to 29. There are great differences amongst these three groups and their relationships with libraries. Older teens are most likely to borrow books than purchase and seek more help at the library than their counterparts, but are less likely to highly value them. College-aged adults are cited as being less likely to use the library and purchasing must of their books. Young professionals are more likely to find their libraries to be important to them and their families, with 42% being parents.
The growth of a person from age 16 to age 29 is substantial, which leads me back to my point. The realized importance of libraries in communities is comprehended through growth and maturity, further illustrated in Pew Center’s findings noting older adults, including those 65 & older that are least likely to visit, but understand the value. With that being said, it is important to note that young adults credit libraries for embracing technology. This acknowledgement from a generation whose lives seem to revolve around technology, gives me great hope for the future of our libraries.
Read the entire report on Young Americans and Public Libraries here. Provided in this report is a demographic portrait of younger Americans, reading habits, technology use and their relationship with public libraries.