New data from the Pew Research Center on public library engagement

LIBRARIES & THE BIG PICTURE: FACTS, TRENDS, & NEXT!
New data from the Pew Research
Center on public library engagement
Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Associate, Pew Research Center’s Internet Project
Computers in Libraries, April 7, 2014
@kzickuhr | @pewinternet | @pewresearch
libraries.pewinternet.org

I. INTRODUCTION
About this research
II. NEW FINDINGS
A closer look at our library
engagement typology
III. COMING SOON
Library engagement quiz
2April 10, 2014 libraries.pewinternet.org / @kzickuhr / @pewinternet

3
About us
pewresearch.org @pewresearch
pewinternet.org @pewinternet
April 10, 2014 libraries.pewinternet.org / @kzickuhr / @pewinternet

About our libraries research
Three phases:
I. State of reading
II. Library services
III. Typology

About our libraries research
Nationally representative
telephone surveys
Landlines and cell phones
English and Spanish
Americans ages 16 and older

I. INTRODUCTION
About this research
II. NEW FINDINGS
engagement typology

• Based on:
• Public library use
• Experiences at libraries
• Views/perceptions of libraries
• Broader context:
• Info & tech habits
• Other community activities
About the typology

Level of
engagement
Group name
% of U.S.
population
ages 16+
High
Library Lovers 10%
Information
Omnivores
20%
Medium
Solid Center 30%
Print
Traditionalists
9%
Low
Not For Me 4%
Young &
Restless
7%
Rooted &
Roadblocked
7%
None
Distant Admirers 10%
Off the Grid 4%
High (30%)
Medium (39%)
Low
(17%)
None (14%)

Library
Lovers
10%
Info.
Omnivores
20%
High
Engagement
(30%)

Group name Engagement level
% of U.S.
population
Major characteristics
Library
Lovers
High 10% • Frequent library use, high levels
of appreciation/familiarity
• Includes many parents, students,
and job seekers
• Tend to be younger, with higher
levels of education

% of U.S.
population
Information
Omnivores
High 20% • High levels of library use, but
visits are less frequent than
Library Lovers’
• Highest rates of technology use
• Highest levels of education,
employment, household income.

Solid Center
30%
Print
Traditionalists
9%
Medium Engagement
(39%)

% of U.S.
population
Solid Center Medium 30%
• About half have used a public
library in the past year
• Most view libraries positively.
• Similar to general U.S.
population

% of U.S.
population
Print
Traditionalists
Medium 9% • Similar to Solid Center, except
tend to live farther away from
libraries (61% live in rural areas)
• Highest proportion of rural,
Southern, or white respondents

Not for Me
4%
Young and
Restless
7%
Rooted and
Roadblocked
7%
Low Engagement
(17%)

% of U.S.
population
Not for Me Low 4% • Strikingly less positive views of
public libraries’ roles in the
community
• More likely to have had negative
experiences at libraries

27
23 20 19
71
65
61
37
78
72 75
49
Promote literacy /
love of reading
Give everyone a
chance to succeed
Improve a
community's quality
of life
Provide services
that are hard to find
elsewhere
Not for Me Young & Restless Rooted & Roadblocked
% who strongly agree that public libraries…

% of U.S.
population
Young &
Restless
Low 7% • Relatively young group: Median
age is 33.
• Few have lived in their
neighborhoods for very long.
• Only 15% know where the
nearest public library is located.

% who know where the nearest public library
is located
91 94
15
92
All Americans Not For Me Young &
Restless
Rooted &
Roadblocked

% of U.S.
population
Rooted &
Roadblocked
Low 7%
• Generally views public libraries
positively, but many face hurdles
in their lives
• Tend to be older; many are living
with disability or have
experienced a recent illness in
their family.

% who say their library’s closing would have a
major impact on…
21
25
47
15
61
23
Community as a whole Self and family
Not for Me Young & Restless Rooted & Roadblocked

Distant
Admimers
10%
Off the Grid
4%
No Engagement
(14%)

% of U.S.
population
Distant
Admirers
None 10% • No personal library use
• Many (40%) say other family
members use libraries
• Most view libraries quite
positively; many also say that
library services are important to
them and their families
• Tend to be older; often live in
lower-income households.

% of U.S.
population
Off the Grid None 4% • No personal library use
• Little exposure to libraries overall
• May be less engaged with
community activities and social
life.
• Many live in rural areas; just 56%
use the internet.
• Low household incomes & low
levels of education (only one in
ten has graduated from college)

Public library engagement typology: Group overviews
Level of engagement
with public libraries
Group name
% of U.S. population
ages 16+
High engagement
~80% used a public
Library Lovers 10%
• Frequent library use, high appreciation
• Includes many parents, students, and job seekers
• Tend to be younger, with higher levels of education
Information
Omnivores
20%
• High levels of library use, but visits are less frequent than Library Lovers’.
• Highest rates of technology use
• Highest levels of education, employment, and household income.
Medium engagement
~50% used a public
Solid Center 30%
• About half have used a public library in the past year
• Most view libraries positively.
• Similar to the general U.S. population in most demographic measures.
Print
Traditionalists
9%
• Similar to Solid Center, except tend to live farther away from libraries
• Most view libraries as important to community
• Highest proportion of rural, Southern, or white respondents
Low engagement
~30% used a public
Not For Me 4%
• Strikingly negative views of public libraries
• Ex: Are far less likely than most other groups to say public libraries are
important to their communities
Young &
Restless
7%
• Relatively young group; few of its members have lived in their neighborhoods
for very long.
• Only 15% know where the nearest public library is located.
Rooted &
Roadblocked
7%
• Generally views public libraries positively, but many face hurdles in their lives
• Tend to be older; many are living with disability or have experienced a recent
illness in their family.
None
Have never personally
used a public library
Distant Admirers 10%
• 40% say other family members use libraries
• Most view libraries quite positively; many also say that library services are
important to them and their families
• Tend to be older; often live in lower-income households.
Off the Grid 4%
• Little exposure to libraries overall
• May be less engaged with community activities and social life.
• Many live in rural areas; just 56% use the internet.
• Low household incomes & low levels of education (only one in ten has
graduated from college)

• Relationships to libraries are
part of Americans’ broader
resource networks
Library engagement typology

resource networks
• Library use vs importance

resource networks
• Library use vs importance
• Groups may surprise you

I. INTRODUCTION
About this research
II. NEW FINDINGS
engagement typology
III. COMING SOON
Library engagement quiz
What kind of library user are you?

pewinternert.org
Newsletter > Online activities > Libraries

What do Americans want from
libraries?
More activities, more separate
spaces
…and print books, quiet
Convenience & tech (apps, e-
books, kiosks)
… and closer relationships with
librarians

Thank you!
Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Associate
kzickuhr@pewresearch.org
Pew Research Center
pewresearch.org
Computers in Libraries, April 7, 2014
@kzickuhr | @pewinternet | @pewresearch

New data from the Pew Research Center on public library engagement

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