Overview In broad strokes, younger Americans’ library habits are very similar to those of older adults. They also value many of the same things in public libraries, and have generally similar views on what services and resources libraries should offer to their communities. However, our research also finds some notable differences, especially related to technology […]
Americans ages 16-29 are heavy technology users, including using computers and internet at libraries. At the same time, the most still read and borrow printed books, and value a mix of traditional and technological library services.
In addition to asking people for their preferences on some new library services, we also asked respondents whether they would themselves use a variety of possible new activities and features at libraries. Our list was weighted towards services that are rooted in technology and allow more tech-related interactions with libraries and at them. These items […]
Scientists delve deeper into the science behind print books’ distinctive smell.
Happy Children’s Book Week. Here’s a a closer look at our data on children and reading from our recent report on parents, children, libraries, and reading.
Parents say libraries are very important places for their children because reading is a key part of parent-child interactions and libraries provide extra resources not available in their homes
Parents think libraries are important for themselves and for their community and they visit their local public library more than other adults. How important libraries are to individuals and their communities In our survey, we asked people about their general library patronage — if they had experiences with libraries in childhood, how often they visit […]
In addition to the statistics included in our report, we also asked parents and librarians from around the country about their thoughts on various library services for parents and children. These quotes are from in-person and online focus groups of library patrons and staff, as well as an online questionnaire of library staff members.
