Tag Archives: Pew

Parental Connection to Libraries Defined

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Library PatronWhat’s the one thing that nearly all parents agree is valuable for their children? The library, of course! Ninety-four percent of parents say libraries are important for their children, according to new report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

The study, “Parents’ and Children’s Special Relationship with Reading and Libraries,” reveals the strong connections parents have with public libraries.

“This study echoes what librarians have heard from parents for years: libraries encourage and build a love of reading and books,” said American Library Association President Maureen Sullivan in a statement. “Librarians provide more information and resources than any family can afford to have at home. Libraries provide a safe and welcoming space for reading and learning.

“A whopping 77 percent of teenagers come to us to support their out-of-school learning! Libraries continue to link people with the information and the critical resources they need to educate themselves and to connect with their communities. Eighty-seven percent of children who visited the library do so to borrow books. Fifty-five percent went to do school work.

“An important way in which libraries support lifelong learning is by offering public programs that range from story time for preschoolers to homework programs for teens,” she continued. “A recent report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services finds that libraries offered 2.3 million programs for children. Attendance at these children’s programs exceeded 60.5 million.

Read the rest of Sullivan’s statement or read the full report.

About Jazzy Wright

Jazzy Wright is the Press Officer of the American Library Association's Washington Office. Email her at jwright@alawash.org.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in OITP, Public Libraries

Tagged , ,

Pew Report Finds Patrons Want Books and Technology

Posted on January 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

PewThis week, the Pew Research Center released the Internet & American Life Project report “Library Services in the Digital Age,” a study that examines the role of libraries in communities and the kinds of services people would like to see from libraries. In response to the report, American Library Association President Maureen Sullivan released a statement welcoming the new report. She stated:

The American Library Association is pleased to have this new data that both confirms and expands our understanding of why and how people use our nation’s public libraries.…I would like to highlight three vital findings from this report:

People value public libraries and librarians and believe they are important to their communities. Ninety-one percent of those aged 16 and older say that public libraries are important to them. Millions of people have used library services in the past year. They have visited in person and many taken advantage of library websites and digital collections. Half of all those who have visited their library say they did so to get help from a librarian. Eighty percent of all people reported that reference librarians are a “very important” service of libraries. Libraries are centers of learning and discovery, and librarians serve as guides and teachers.

Libraries continue to be at the forefront of bridging the digital divide. Libraries ensure that all people have access to books in all formats, to the Internet, and to training that enables them to use technology and research resources. More than a quarter of people aged 16 and older say they have used computers or Wi-Fi at the library to go online. People use technology services to do research, to connect with others via email and social media, and to obtain health, government and employment information. Library technology services are essential to serving communities of all sizes. The investments that have been made in our nation’s libraries (e.g., the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) must be sustained.

Libraries continue to innovate and evolve in ways that bring value to our communities. About 70 percent of public libraries offer digital/virtual reference and information services to answer patron questions. Libraries have tripled the number of e-books available to their readers. Thirty-nine percent of libraries circulate e-book readers for patron use. Ninety percent of libraries offer formal and informal technology training to patrons. A growing number of libraries offer mobile websites, apps and QR links to library resources and services. Many of these new services have been recognized as “cutting-edge technology in library services” by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy.”

Visit www.pewinternet.org/topics/Libraries.aspx to learn more about the Pew study.

About Jazzy Wright

Jazzy Wright is the Press Officer of the American Library Association's Washington Office. Email her at jwright@alawash.org.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in e-books, OITP, Public Libraries

Tagged

OITP releases backgrounder on “Libraries, Patrons, and E-books”

Posted on July 3, 2012 by | 2 Comments

As part of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy’s work with the Digital Content and Libraries Working Group, several member leaders have requested we develop and distribute communications resources that will support local libraries around digital content issues.

Today OITP released the first of these documents, a backgrounder (pdf) that shares some highlights from the newest Pew Research Center report on “Libraries, Patrons, and E-books,” along with some possible messaging and local angles for leveraging this new research with local media and decision makers.

Among the report’s key findings referenced in the backgrounder:

  • 12% of e-book readers have borrowed an e-book from their library
  • 62% of people don’t know they can borrow e-books from their library
  • 69% of people report the library is important to them and their family
  • Many people would like to learn more about borrowing e-books
  • E-book borrowers appreciate the selection of e-books at their local library, but they often encounter difficulty borrowing

The new research already has generated many news stories, and has the potential to interest many more reporters with a local tie-in over the coming weeks. We hope this backgrounder will assist libraries at the state and local level to tell their e-book stories using new national data and messaging.

If you’d like to learn more directly from the source, Pew Internet Project Director Lee Rainie discussed the report and related research at the ALA Annual Conference (June 20-26), and is a featured presenter as part of the ALA Virtual Conference July 18 and 19.

Finally, please share with us in comments any successes you’ve had in sharing the library e-book story in your community. What creative approaches have you taken to raise awareness of your e-book collections and other digital resources?

Stay cool!

Larra Clark
ALA OITP

About Larra Clark

As Director of OITP's Program on Networks, and Associate Director of OITP's Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century, Larra’s responsibilities include overall management of OITP’s telecommunications portfolio and day-to-day management of our projects in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, she served as the project manager in the ALA Office for Research & Statistics for three years.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in e-books, OITP, Telecommunications

Tagged , ,

Tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubles in one month

Posted on January 23, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Today the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project announced that tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holidays. Overall, 29 percent of U.S. adults now own at least one of these devices. This is the first report in a series funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with an advisory group of library representatives – on which I serve on behalf of the American Library Association.

While this first report does not reference libraries directly, it certainly has implications that come as no surprise to our members. Of course libraries have experienced the post-holiday surge of new tablet and e-reader users seeking help using these devices and looking to check out e-books much as they have checked out billions of other library items in the past year. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, these new tablet and e-reader owners will not be able to find the same depth of collections on their new devices as they’ve enjoyed in the stacks. Many of the largest publishers limit or do not allow library lending of e-books, an issue top of mind for the new Digital Content and Libraries Working Group.

In addition to the content divide that currently exists for those seeking e-books through their libraries, the Pew report also surfaces a new “device divide.” While 36 percent of people from families with annual incomes greater than $75,000 have a mobile reading device, only 8 percent of those with incomes below $30,000 report this is the case. In our effort to create and support a nation of readers and lifelong learners, these divides pose significant challenges to our values and ability to meet community needs. They demand our continued vigilance and advocacy, as well as our creativity in developing new sustainable models for connecting our communities.

Pew plans to dig deeper into library experiences with e-books in the coming year. There will be an online survey of library staff asking about their experiences with e-books, e-book readers, and publishers of e-books, as well as a survey of library patrons asking about their experiences of accessing/trying to access e-books at their libraries.  Together, this phase of the research project will explore reader expectations for access to digital content and devices and the challenges and opportunities they bring to public libraries. In subsequent years, the project will investigate community priorities for library services and will describe use patterns and outcomes for library patrons and non-users.

Larra Clark, Director, Program on Networks
ALA Office for Information Technology Policy

About Jacob Roberts

Jacob Roberts is the communications specialist for the ALA Washington Office.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Digital Divide, e-books, OITP, Public Libraries, Telecommunications

Tagged , , , ,