Reinventing of LibrariesThe keys to the future in 7 questions

Lee Rainie - @lrainieDirector

Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project

Presented to: Massachusetts Library System June 13, 2013

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

http://bit.ly/100qMub

The big questions

1. What’s the future of knowledge?2. What’s the future of reference

expertise?3. What’s the future of public technology?4. What’s the future of learning spaces?5. What’s the future of community anchor

institutions?6. What’s the franchise?

Q7: Where do we fit on the dashboard? ALA’s “Confronting the Future”

Totally physical (facilities and media)

Individual focusCollection library

(physical and virtual)

PortalEverything for

everyone

Totally virtual (facilities and media)

Community focusCreation library

(social, maker space)

ArchiveSpecialized niche

5 big reasons your foundation is solid

1) Libraries are appreciated

91% say libraries are important to their communities

76% say libraries are important to them and their families

Robert Dawson photography - Library Road Triphttp://www.robertdawson.com/pages/1/Public%20Library%3a%20An%20American%20Commons/Public%20Library%3a%20An%20American%20Commons/

7

2) Libraries stack up well vs. othersHow confident? How important?

3) People like librarians

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

4) 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

Sidebar on tech adoptionBroadband (68%)/ Internet (85%)

3%

Sidebar on tech adoptionMobile – 91% … smartphone 56% … tablets 34%

326.4Total U.S. population:319 million

2012

Sidebar on tech adoptionSocial networking – 61% of all adults

72% of internet users

SNS Users

Which groups are most likely?• Internet users under 50• 18-29 most likely of any demographic

cohort (83%)• Women• Urban more likely than rural

Facebook Users

• Facebook remains the most-used SNS platform – two-thirds of online adults are Facebook users (67%)

Which groups are most likely?• Women• Those under 50, especially 18-29

Twitter Users• 16% of internet users

are on Twitterthis has doubled since Nov. 2010

Which groups are most likely?• Those under 50, especially 18-29• African-Americans are more likely

than whites• Urban-dwellers

Pinterest Users• 15% of internet users

are on Pinterest

Which groups are most likely?• Whites• Under 50 – 18-29 do not stand out• Well-educated• Higher Income• Women - 5x more likely than men

Instagram Users• 13% of internet users are

on Instagram

Which groups are most likely?• Women• Those under 50, especially 18-29• African-Americans and Hispanics

more likely than whites• Urban-dwellers

Tumblr Users

• Just 6% of internet users are on Tumblr

Which groups are most likely?• Those 18-29 (13%)

5) Reading is alive and well75% of those ages 16 and older read a book in the previous

year, including 23% who read an e-book

15 is the mean/average number of books read in past 12 months and median/midpoint is 6

24 is mean/average for e-book readers

30% of e-content consumers who are reading more now because e-content is available 41% for tablet owners

5% of those 16+ have borrowed an e-book from a library – and they are book buyers, too!

1 big PR problem that is not hard to fix

Answer the Marvin Gaye question• 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

How to fix: Go to already-affectionate publics

22% 23%31% 38%

What they want you to do

Coordinate more closely with local schools in providing resources to kids

Offer free early literacy programs to help young children prepare for school

More comfortable spaces for reading, working, relaxing

Offer a broader selection of e-books

Separate spaces for different services

Offer more interactive learning experiences similar to museums

Help users digitize material such as family photos / historical documents

Move most library services online so users can access them without having to visit library

Make most services automated, so people can find what they need and check out material on their own without help from staff

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

What they say they’d use

Pre-loaded e-book readers

Classes on how to download e-books

Personalize, Amazon-style recommendations

Digital media lab to digitize personal material

Instruction on how to use e-reading devices

Be not afraid

Libraries.pewinternet.orgLee RainieEmail: lrainie@pewinternet.org Twitter: @Lrainie

Kathryn ZickuhrEmail: kzickuhr@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @kzickuhr

Kristen PurcellEmail: @kpurcell@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @kristenpurcell

Further thoughts on the big questions

Q1: What is the future of knowledge?

• How is it created?• What are its interfaces? • How is it disseminated?

Homework: Too Big To Know David Weinberger

Q2: What is the future of reference expertise?

• How do you search for information?• How do you aggregate / curate it?• What new literacies are required to

understand it?

Homework: http://searchengineland.com/Danny Sullivan & Co.

Q3: What is the future of public technology

• What is the future of knowledge access points?

• What divides persist / emerge?• What lending models are enabled in a new

era of property / subscription / sharing?Homework: Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions for

the 21st Century Public Library Roger Levien

Q4: What is the future of learning spaces

• What fosters collaboration? Creativity? Problem solving?

• What is the role of solitude and quiet spaces?• What other alliances can you strike with

institutions that share your goals about providing key information to your community?

Homework: A New Culture of Learning Douglas Thomas & John Seely Brown

Q5: What is the future of community anchor institutions

• Does local matter?• What does our community need?

Homework: Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age

Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities

Q6: What’s the franchise?

• What’s the commodity?

Homework: The Innovators DilemmaThe Innovators SolutionClayton Christensen, Michael Raynor