According to a new analysis of Pew Research Center data on US library attendance, millennials more than other generations appear to have a use for physical libraries. They may not always come for the books, but the country’s youngest adults show up. That works out well because librarians have been designing with them in mind.
Pew researchers surveyed a nationally representative population of 1,600 Americans in 2016. It found that millennials—arguably the first generation to grow up online—use public libraries more than other, older adults. More than half—53%—of survey respondents ages 18-35 visited a public library or bookmobile within the previous year. That’s not bad for a tech-obsessed bunch deemed lost to the screen.
t’s notable too that the results did not include attendance at academic libraries. That means millennials answering affirmatively weren’t college students referring to campus institutions, which would naturally skew the outcome.
By comparison, only 45% of disaffected gen-Xers (36-51 years old) and 43% of enthusiastic baby boomers (52-70 years old) visited a public reference center in the 12 months prior to being surveyed…
Read the full article: “Millenials are the ones keeping libraries alive.” Ephrat Livni. Quartz. July 29, 2017.