Lee Rainie, the Project Director, describes the findings from the nationally representative survey that asked Americans what types of services they value in their libraries and what additional services they would like their libraries to offer.

1. Libraries and communities
Lee Rainie - @lrainie
Director, Pew Research Center’s Internet Project
Presented to: New England Library Association
October 21, 2013

2. “Tell the truth, and trust the people”
-- Joseph N. Pew, Jr.
http://bit.ly/dUvWe3
http://bit.ly/100qMub

3. What is the Pew Internet Project?
A comprehensive and groundbreaking new report
released Monday by the Pew Research Center’s
Internet and American Life Project has found that
only four users of Facebook derive pleasure of any
.... “As it turns out, the vast majority of human
kind from theto become depressed when they
beings tend popular social networking website.
According to the report, the remainder of
see the past five years of their life summarized
the 950 million people registered with Facebook,
right there in front of them in a sad little
despite using the site on a regular basis, take no
timeline,” said lead researcher John Elliott.
joy in doing so, and in fact feel a profound sense
of hopelessness and despair immediately upon
logging in…
Number Of Users
Who Actually
Enjoy Facebook
Down To 4

4. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and are
quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in the
future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact sport

5. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact sport

6. Libraries are perceived as important
91% say libraries are
important to their
communities
76% say libraries are
important to them and
their families
Robert Dawson photography - Library Road Trip
http://www.robertdawson.com/pages/1/Public%20Library%3a%20An%20American%20Commons/Public%20Library%3a%20An%20American%20Commons
/

7. Quick news flash: New preliminary data
• Having a public library improves the quality of life
in a community
• Public libraries are important because they
promote literacy and a love of reading
• Because it provides free access to materials and
resources, the public library plays an important
role in giving everyone a chance to succeed
• Public libraries provide many services people
would have a hard time finding elsewhere
---• Disagree: Public libraries have NOT done a good
job keeping up with new technologies

8. … more …
• Split verdict: People do NOT need public
libraries as much as they used to because they
can find most information on their own

9. Libraries stack up well vs. others
How confident? How important?
Library to community
63
28
9

10. People like librarians
• 98% of “ever” library visitors say interactions are “very/mostly
positive”
• 81% of library visitors say librarians are “very helpful”
• 50% of “last year” visitors got help from a librarian

11. Libraries have rebranded themselves
as tech hubs
80% of Americans say
borrowing books is a “very
important” service libraries
provide
80% say reference librarians are
a “very important” service
77% say free access to
computers and the internet
is a “very important” service
76% say quiet study spaces are
a “very important” service

12. How people use in-library computers (26% do so)
• 66% of those who used the internet at a library in the past 12
months did research for school or work.
• 63% browsed the internet for fun or to pass the time.
• 54% used email.
• 47% got health information.
• 41% visited government websites or got info about gov services.
• 36% looked for jobs or applied for jobs online.
• 35% visited social networking sites.
• 26% downloaded or watched online video.
• 16% bought a product online.
• 16% paid bills or did online banking.
• 16% took an online class completed online certification program.

13. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact sport

14. Many of their patrons and biggest
fans can’t answer the Marvin
Gaye question …

15. What’s going on?
• 22% say that they know all or most of the services
their libraries offer
• 46% say they know some of what their libraries offer
• 31% said they know not much or nothing at all of
what their libraries offer

16. Library non-users who are fans and
should be primed to listen
100%
80%
23%
22%
60%
40%
75%
38%
31%
76%
84%
91%
53%
20%
0%
Used library last Read a book in
Library is
12 months past 12 months important to
me/family
Ever visited
library
Library is
important to
community

17. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact spor

18. Library users
% who have visited a library or bookmobile in
person in the past year
All Americans ages 16+
a
Men (n=1,059)
b
Women (n=1,193)
Age
a
16-17 (n=101)
b
18-29 (n=369)
c
30-49 (n=586)
d
50-64 (n=628)
e
65+ (n=531)
Education attainment
a
No high school diploma (n=254)
b
High school grad (n=610)
c
Some College (n=562)
d
College + (n=812)
Parent of minor
a
Parent (n=584)
b
Non-parent (n=1,667)
53%
53%
48%
59a
59%
62%de
57%e
59%de
51%e
40%
40%
43%
46%
58%ab
63%ab
58%
63%
64%
64%
49%
b

19. Who uses
library
websites

20. Mobile
connections
now matter

21. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact spor

22. Coordinate more closely with local schools in
providing resources to kids
77%
19% 3%
Offer free early literacy programs to help
young children prepare for school
77%
Should definitely do
17%
Maybe do
Definitely NOT do
3%

23. Should definitely do
Should maybe do
Should definitely not do
Separate spaces for different services
61%
27%
9%
More comfortable spaces for reading, working, relaxing
59%
28%
9%
Offer a broader selection of e-books
53%
0%
20%
30%
40%
60%
5%
80%
100%

24. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact spor

25. Move some print books and stacks out of
public locations to free up more space for
things such as tech centers, reading rooms,
meetings rooms, and cultural events
Should definitely do
20%
0%
Should maybe do
39%
20%
40%
Should definitely not do
36%
60%
80%
100%

26. Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not too likely or not at all likely
Online research service – “ask a librarian”
37%
36%
26%
Cell app to use to access library services
35%
28%
35%
A tech “petting zoo” to try out new stuff
35%
34%
29%
Cell GPS app to navigate library
34%
28%
36%
Kiosks (“Redbox”) around town for lib. checkouts
33%
30%
35%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

27. Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not too likely or not at all likely
Personalize, Amazon-style recommendations
29%
35%
34%
Classes on how to download e-books
28%
29%
41%
Pre-loaded e-book readers
26%
32%
39%
Digital media lab to digitize personal material
26%
32%
40%
Instruction on how to use e-reading devices
23%
0%
28%
20%
40%
48%
60%
80%
100%

28. My six points
1. Libraries are deeply appreciated at the
community level
2. Libraries have a PR problem
3. Libraries are well used by some groups and
are quite removed from others
4. Libraries have a mandate to intervene
5. The signals about what the public wants in
the future from libraries are mixed
6. Reinvention is a community contact spor

29. “Market shortcomings”
librarians could address

30. “Market shortcomings ”: Examples of
community issues librarians could address
1) Technology non-users - skills training in new
literacies
2) Pre-school programs
3) After school activities
4) English as a Second Language issues
5) Lifelong learning opportunities / credentialing
competency
6) Fill gaps in local media ecosystem – community
and civic information/curation
7) Help for small business / entrepreneurs / nonprofits
8) Serendipity agents of discovery

31. Be not
afraid

32. Libraries.pewinternet.org
Lee Rainie
Email: lrainie@pewinternet.org
Twitter: @Lrainie
Kathryn Zickuhr
Email: kzickuhr@pewinternet.org
Twitter: @kzickuhr
Kristen Purcell
Email: @kpurcell@pewinternet.org
Twitter: @kristenpurcell