The New Library

Lee Rainie - @lrainie

Director

Pew Research Center’s Internet Project

Presented to: Wyoming Library Association

October 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 things 1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledge

b. Be delighted and surprised

c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity

d. 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 things 1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledge

b. Be delighted and surprised

c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity

d. 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%

3%

70%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

June 2000

April 2001

March 2002

March 2003

April 2004

March 2005

March 2006

March 2007

April 2008

April 2009

May 2010

Aug 2011

April 2012

May 2013

Dial-up Broadband

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

326.4

Total U.S. population: 319 million

2012

Changes in smartphone ownership

35%

48%

17%

46% 41%

12%

56%

35%

9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Smartphone Other cell phone No cell phone

May 2011 February 2012 May 2013

84%

70%

67%

88%

73%

66%

83%

62%* 49%*

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Internet access Home broadband Mobile internet

Urban Suburban Rural

+10%

The rural story

* Statistically significant difference

+10%

+8%

No broadband, but have smartphones

Libraries and tech

85%

53%

41%

26%

16%

34%

83%

55%

41%

27%

13%

30%

84%

52%

28%

17%

8%

29%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Ever visit library Visit library last 12 months

Ever visit website Visit website last 12 months

Connect w/ mobile device

Use library computers/internet

Urban Suburban Rural

Among library users

Digital Revolution 3 Social networking – 61% of all adults

% of internet users

9%

89%

7%

78%

6%

60%

1%

43%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

18-29 30-49 50-64 65+

Big challenge for libraries Atoms bits

Collections

are

disrupted

Big challenge for libraries People come to us We go to people

The library as

place becomes

the library

as placeless

resource

Big challenge for libraries Expertise 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 things 1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledge

b. Be delighted and surprised

c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity

d. 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 things 1. How its users want to …

a. Access knowledge

b. Be delighted and surprised

c. Retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity

d. 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

53%

75% 76% 84%

91%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Used library last 12 months

Read a book in past 12 months

Library is important to

me/family

Ever visited library

Library is important to community

22% 23% 31% 38%

“Market shortcomings ”: Examples of librarians could address

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

2) Pre-school 3) After school 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 / non-

profits 8) 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 Trip

http://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. others How confident? How important?

63 28 Library to community

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 well 75% 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

77%

77%

17%

19%

3%

3%

Should definitely do Maybe do Definitely NOT do

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

ALA’s “Confronting the Future”

Totally physical (facilities and media)

Individual focus

Collection library (physical and virtual)

Archive

Me: Everything for everyone

Totally virtual (facilities and media)

Community focus

Creation library (social, maker space)

Portal (or Platform)

Specialized niche

Be not afraid

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