Libraries

Lee Rainie will present Pew Internet data at the Young Adult Library Services Association's Summit on Libraries & Teens regarding teens libraries in today's digital world.

The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising popularity of e-books is helping transform Americans’ reading habits. In this changing landscape, public libraries are trying to adjust their services to these new realities while still serving the needs of patrons who rely on more traditional resources.

13% of those ages 16 and older have accessed library websites via mobile devices.

In a survey this fall, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project asked whether people had accessed the internet at a library in the previous 12 months. Some 26% of those ages 16 and older said they had.

23% of Americans ages 16 and older read an e-book in the past year, up from 16% the year before. The share who read a print book declined to 67%, from 72%.

Residents of urban, suburban, and rural areas vary in their purposes for reading, their use of digital content, their engagement with public libraries, and where they turn for book recommendations

A snapshot of the reading and library habits within the different types of communities studied.

The Project’s latest research about how people use technology and how people use libraries.

More than eight in ten Americans ages 16-29 read a book in the past year, and six in ten used their local public library. Many say they are reading more in the era of digital content, especially on their mobile phones and on computers.

Lee Rainie will describe the latest findings of the Pew Internet Project about libraries and the new mix of services they are offering their patrons—and considering offering.