16- Younger Americans' Library Habits and Expectations

The article, “Younger Americans’ Library Habits and Expectations,” explains that though Americans under the age of 30 (younger Americans) are just as likely as Americans over the age of 30 (older Americans) to have visited the library, more younger Americans use some type of technology such as computers and the library internet, visit the library website, and use a mobile device to visit a public library’s website or access library resources than older Americans. The percent of younger to older Americans ranges drastically with these findings. Researchers believe the higher rates of technology use at the library is more significant in the younger population due to the use of technology in other areas of life for this population. Though younger Americans are significantly more likely to have read an e-book than older Americans with an increase of use from yours 2011 to 2012, the reading of books in print has remained steady with in this age group. Young Americans find it “very important” (population percent 70 or higher) for libraries to have librarians for assistance, to offer research resources such as free databases to have free access to computers and internet, to offer books for people to borrow, to have quiet study spaces, to have program classes for children and teenagers, and to offer job or career services. Younger Americans also think that libraries should coordinate more with local schools (87%), Should provide free literacy programs (87%), have more lounging spaces (64%), separate spaces for different services (57%), offer a larger variety of e-books (54%), offer more interactive learning experiences (53%), move most library resources online (44%), and make most services automated (41%). 

My opinion of this article is that I don't find any of this information surprising. We younger Americans tend to be more tech savvy than the rest of the population. The generation that is elementary schools now are really going to be the tech wizards. I know ten-year-olds that can work a smart phone better than I can. So when it comes to going to the library to do some research or study, it is more convenient to be able to look up your information on a computer in a research database. It is very helpful to have a librarian assist you when looking for actual text and to point you in the right direction. A librarians assistance would even be helpful when using the library's website. Sometimes help to navigate the site is useful and saves time. As our world becomes more technologically dependent, so will all public places, including the library.