The New Library

Lee Rainie - @lrainieDirector

Pew Research Center’s Internet Project

Presented to: Wyoming Library AssociationOctober 3, 2013

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

http://bit.ly/100qMub

The new library has figured out 5 things1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledgeb. Be delighted and surprised c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivityd. Participate in new learning experiences

2. How to act as trusted information concierge to patrons any time and anywhere … be a “node” in people’s social networks

3. How to close divides and open community opportunities – especially in addressing “market shortcomings”

4. What its franchise/value proposition is -- and how to deliver “commodity” goods and services as cheaply and efficiently as possible

The new library has figured out 5 things1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledgeb. Be delighted and surprised c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivityd. Participate in new learning experiences

2. How to act as trusted information concierge to patrons any time and anywhere … be a “node” in people’s social networks

3. How to close divides and open community opportunities – especially in addressing “market shortcomings”

4. What its franchise/value proposition is -- and how to deliver “commodity” goods and services as cheaply and efficiently as possible

All these are driven by technology change

Digital Revolution 1: Broadband at home - 70% (+10% more have smartphones) - Internet users overall: 85%

Broadband at home

Dial-up at home

The Landscape of Social Media Users (among adults)

% of internet users who….

The service is especially appealing to

Use Any Social Networking Site

72% Adults ages 18-29, women

Use Facebook 71% Women, ages 18-29

LinkedIn 22% Men, whites, college educated

Use Pinterest 21%Women, adults under 50, whites,

those with some college education

Use Twitter 18%Ages 18-29, African-Americans,

urban residents

Use Instagram 17%Ages 18-29, African-Americans,

Latinos, women, urban residents

Use Tumblr 6% Adults ages 18-29

reddit 6% Men ages 18-29

Digital Revolution 2Mobile – 91% … smartphone 56% … tablets 34%

326.4Total U.S. population:319 million

2012

Changes in smartphone ownership

+10%

The rural story

* Statistically significant difference

+10%

+8%

No broadband, but have smartphones

Libraries and tech

Digital Revolution 3Social networking – 61% of all adults

% of internet users

Big challenge for librariesAtoms bits

Collections are

disrupted

Big challenge for librariesPeople come to us We go to people

The library as

place becomes the library as placeless

resource

Big challenge for librariesExpertise and influence emerges in

networks and algorithms

Share the stage with amateur experts

How users want to …

• Access knowledge– Any time, just-in-time, real time, anywhere, any device

• 71% say they’d use online “ask a librarian”• 71% want broader selection of e-books (plus “petting zoos”, kiosks, e-

reader training, pre-loaded devices)

• Be delighted and surprised• 56% would like more recommendations

• Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity• 76% say its very important to offer quiet study spaces

• Participate in new learning experiences

The new library has figured out 5 things1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledgeb. Be delighted and surprised c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivityd. Participate in new learning experiences

2. How to act as trusted information concierge to patrons any time and anywhere … be a “node” in people’s social networks

3. How to close divides and open community opportunities – especially in addressing “market shortcomings”

4. What its franchise/value proposition is -- and how to deliver “commodity” goods and services as cheaply and efficiently as possible

Social networks and social media become more important in people’s

learning strategies

What does this mean?1) Social networks are more influential and are

differently segmented and layered

Sentries

What does this mean?

Evaluators

1) Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

What does this mean?

Audience = New media are the

new neighborhood

1) Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

The new library has figured out 5 things1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledgeb. Be delighted and surprised c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivityd. Participate in new learning experiences

2. How to act as trusted information concierge to patrons any time and anywhere … be a “node” in people’s social networks

3. How to close divides and open community opportunities – especially in addressing “market shortcomings”

4. What its franchise/value proposition is -- and how to deliver “commodity” goods and services as cheaply and efficiently as possible

17% of rural residents do not use the internet -1

• 37% of non-internet users in rural areas think the internet is just not relevant to them, saying they are not interested, do not want to use it, or have no need for it.

• 31% of non-internet users in rural areas cite reasons tied to their sense that the internet is not very easy to use. These non-users say it is difficult or frustrating to go online, they are physically unable, or they are worried about other issues such as spam, spyware, and hackers.

• 24% of non-internet users in rural areas cite the expense of owning a computer or paying for an internet connection.

• 10% of non-users in rural areas cite a physical lack of availability or access to the internet.

17% of rural residents do not use the internet -2

• 49% of rural non-internet users have asked a family member or friend to perform an online activity for them

• 15% of rural non-internet users live in a household with internet connection and other family members use it to go online

• 15% of rural non-internet users once used the internet but no longer do

• 1% of rural non-internet users would like to start using the internet

“Market shortcomings” librarians could address

1) Library non-users

% who have visited a library or bookmobile in person in the past year

All Americans ages 16+ 53%a Men (n=1,059) 48%b Women (n=1,193) 59a

Age a 16-17 (n=101) 62%de

b 18-29 (n=369) 57%e

c 30-49 (n=586) 59%de

d 50-64 (n=628) 51%e

e 65+ (n=531) 40%Education attainment a No high school diploma (n=254) 43%b High school grad (n=610) 46%c Some College (n=562) 58%ab

d College + (n=812) 63%ab

Parent of minor a Parent (n=584) 64%b

b Non-parent (n=1,667) 49%

53%

59%

40%

58%63%64%

Answer the Marvin Gaye question• 22% say that they know all or most of the services their

libraries offer (22% of rural residents)• 46% say they know some of what their libraries offer (45%

of rural residents)• 31% said they know not much or nothing at all of what

their libraries offer (31% of rural residents)

1a) Library non-users who are willing to listen

22% 23%31% 38%

“Market shortcomings ”: Examples of librarians could address

1) Technology non-users - skills training in new literacies

2) Pre-school3) After school4) English as a Second Language issues5) Lifelong learning opportunities / credentialing

competency6) Fill gaps in local media ecosystem – community

and civic information/curation7) Help for small business / entrepreneurs / non-

profits8) Serendipity in discovery

6 reasons why can libraries do that

1) Libraries are appreciated

91% say libraries are important to their communities (90% of rural residents)

76% say libraries are important to them and their families (72% of rural residents)

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

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

… more …

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

34

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

3) People like librarians

• 98% of “ever” library visitors say interactions are “very/mostly positive” (97% of rural residents)

• 81% of library visitors say librarians are “very helpful” (82% of rural residents)

• 50% of “last year” visitors got help from a librarian (48% of rural residents)

4) Libraries have rebranded themselves as tech hubs

80% of Americans say borrowing books is a “very important” service libraries provide (77% of rural residents)

80% say reference librarians are a “very important” service (81% of rural residents)

77% say free access to computers and the internet is a “very important” service (73% of rural residents)

76% say quiet study spaces are a “very important” service (73% of rural residents)

5) Reading is alive and well75% of those ages 16 and older read a book in the previous year (73% of

rural residents), including 23% who read an e-book (15% of rural residents)

15 is the mean/average number of books read in past 12 months by book readers (17 books for rural residents) and median/midpoint is 6 (7 for rural residents)

24 is mean/average for e-book readers (24 for rural e-book readers)

30% of e-content consumers who are reading more now because e-content is available (29% of rural residents) 41% for tablet owners (43% for rural residents)

5% of those 16+ have borrowed an e-book from a library (4% of rural residents) – and they are book buyers, too!

6) Libraries have a mandate to intervene

Coordinate more closely with local schools in providing resources to kids

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

5th and final thing to figure out -- Where you fit on the dashboard

ALA’s “Confronting the Future”

Totally physical (facilities and media)

Individual focusCollection library

(physical and virtual)

ArchiveMe: Everything for

everyone

Totally virtual (facilities and media)

Community focusCreation library

(social, maker space)

Portal (or Platform)Specialized niche

Be not afraid

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

Kathryn ZickuhrEmail: kzickuhr@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @kzickuhr

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