January 2, 2008
Generation Y Reports Greater Library Use Than Older Groups
Students may not be abandoning libraries for the Internet, as some people have worried. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report Sunday that says Generation Y—18-to-30-year-olds, in particular—is more likely to turn to libraries to ferret out information than their older counterparts are.
Adults do use the Internet to gain information more than any other source, including government agencies and experts, according to the report. However, 18-to-30-year-olds said they used library resources—mostly computers—more than older groups.
Steve Bell, associate university librarian for research and instructional services at Temple University writes on ACRLog:
“Now although the report mostly deals with public-library use, I would bet that a good number of respondents in this age category have regular access to an academic library.”
Bell admits that it might be too soon to jump to this conclusion, and the Pew report concludes that libraries should work to better understand why information seekers might or might not use them. It could be, however, that rather than the Internet replacing libraries, it creates a new niche for them to fill. —Hurley Goodall
Posted on Wednesday January 2, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
Commenting is closed for this article.
Previous: NCAA Tells Bloggers Copious Posting is Out
Next: Judge Finds University Didn't Discriminate Online
I wonder if using the library for internet access speaks more to the state of our economy than the use of libraries. The extra bucks for high speed internet is an extra budget item that can be cut when times get tight.
Or — from what I have seen at my school — students are not using the computers for “research” as much as for checking and updating their MySpace page!
So casting this as a positive sign of using libraries to seek academic information may indeed be premature.
— Kate Jan 3, 09:13 AM #
My observation is that libraries are increasingly turning into shared study space, and that students are now used to having computers there so they don’t need to bring their own. Smart libraries are accommodating this trend.
— Al Jan 3, 10:59 AM #
So, what exactly constitutes a “library use”?
Students use the library to eat lunch, make-out, or nap. But that use is far from a laudable academic application of the facility’s resources.
To assume that using the computers in the library constitutes an academic use of the library is a questionable stretch. Just as suggesting that sitting in the shallow water of the pool with arms and legs frantically flailing, kicking and splashing about constitutes the ability to swim.
— Jim Jan 3, 11:59 AM #
First of all, Jim, that’s an awful analogy.
Second, did anybody look at the “report” link in the news item? Some of the questions asked by the researchers are shown and your and Kate’s questions answered.
Part of the problem with the internet is that there are so many links to junk that we skip the ones to information because it’s easier to leap to conclusions.
— Rob Jan 4, 07:43 AM #