Survey Finds Rising Reliance on Libraries as a Gateway to the Web

"Survey Finds Rising Reliance on Libraries as a Gateway to the Web." New York Times / Leslie Kaufman.
New York: NYT Online, January 22nd 2013.

"“In the past generation, public libraries have reinvented themselves to become technology hubs in order to help their communities access information in all its new forms,” Kathryn Zickuhr, a research analyst with Pew and a co-author of a report on the survey’s findings, said in a written statement.

Pew questioned 2,252 Americans ages 16 and older via cellphones and landlines from Oct. 15 to Nov. 10 last year, in both English and Spanish. More than half of those surveyed said that they wanted more e-book selections in their public libraries, and would be likely to check out e-readers already loaded with books — a significant increase from a survey a year ago."

See:
Library Services in the Digital Age / Pew Research Centre

Top 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2013

"Librarian." Top 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2013 / CNBC.
America: CNBC.com, January 2013.

Library Terms That Users Understand

Library Terms That Users Understand  / John Kupersmith.
California: 2012.

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits / Pew Research Center.
Washington: Pew Research Center, October 2012.

The Male Librarian and the Feminine Image: A Survey of Stereotype, Status, & Gender Perceptions

"The Male Librarian and the Feminine Image: A Survey of Stereotype, Status, & Gender Perceptions." Library & Information Science Research / James V. Carmichael.
North Carolina: Elsevier, 1992.

"An individual's sex is identified at birth; the social roles individuals are expected to perform because of their sex relate to gender. The growing corpus of both men's and women's studies provide evidence of a growing awareness of inequities suffered by women throughout history, and the reaction of men who feel similarly trapped by social expectations of them. ... Nearly 60% of subjects confirmed the existence of a male librarian stereotype (see Table III, p. 428). By age group, the largest percentage of affirmative responses received to the stereotype question were in their 20s (81%) and the smallest percentage were 60 or older (44%). By library type, school librarians were more aware of a stereotype than any other group (72%), and special librarians, least aware (53'o). Over 69% of gay men recognized the existence of a stereotype, almost 10% more than the average for the whole sample. These results would suggest a heightened sensitivity to negative stereotyping by those working in the most highly feminized area of librarianship, and by those who have reason to have experienced sexual oppression."

Parent Co-Reading Survey

Parent Co-Reading Survey / Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Summer 2012.

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books / Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Washington: Pew Research Center, June 22nd 2012.

"58% of Americans have a library card, and 69% say that their local library is important to them and their family."

Support Your Local Library

Support Your Local Library / State Stats.

Fantastic Infographic!!!

Survey Results Will Help Predict Future of Campus Libraries

"Survey Results Will Help Predict Future of Campus Libraries." Daily Californian / Alyssa Neumann.
Califormia: The Daily Californian Online, Monday August 20th 2012.

"Of the roughly 4,000 people who took the survey, nearly 70 percent said they rely heavily on the libraries, according to University Librarian Thomas Leonard.  

“We were taken (aback) by the love of libraries, and how much people seem to connect to them,” Leonard said. “People agreed they were really important for their sense of community.”

Leonard said the results also showed undergraduate students are very concerned about library hours and having a place to study, and that faculty are largely concerned about the quality of the collections.  Respondents also opposed spending less money on collections, but accepted that in the long run, a new library service model was necessary due to lowered budget and staff reductions.  After discussion with both the Library Committee of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate and campus library staff, the survey sought input on two proposed models, a “Full Service Libraries” model and a “Hub and Cluster” plan, both of which would reduce the current number of library branches and available research consultation locations."

Who Cares About Libraries?

"Who Cares About Libraries?" Macleans / John Geddes.
Toronto" Macleans Online, August 29th 2011.

Canadians apparently. Far from being under siege (except in Toronto), they’re thriving—and experimenting.

"Beyond the sheer fiscal capacity of governments to keep paying for them, the case for libraries remains surprisingly solid in the online age. The Canadian Urban Libraries Council commissioned Lumos Research to analyze the trends. The report, released last spring, found that for every person in a given Canadian city, the public library on average loaned out 11.3 books and other items in 2008-2009, up from 9.7 in 2000-2001. Over the same nine-year period, the number of visits to the libraries’ websites jumped to five a year per capita from only one. More loans and Web hits refute the easy assumption that Google searches and cheap online book-selling must be rendering libraries obsolete. "

See Also:
An Analysis of Public Library Trends

Study: College Students Rarely Use Librarians' Expertise

"Study: College Students Rarely Use Librarians' Expertise." USA Today / Steve Kolowich.
Chicago: USA Today Online, August 23rd 2011.

"[Lynda] Duke and [Andrew] Asher said they were surprised by "the extent to which students appeared to lack even some of the most basic information literacy skills that we assumed they would have mastered in high school." Even students who were high achievers in high school suffered from these deficiencies, Asher told Inside Higher Ed in an interview.

In other words: Today's college students might have grown up with the language of the information age, but they do not necessarily know the grammar."

See:
Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project

Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010-2011

Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010-2011 / American Library Association.
Chicago: ALA, 2011.

What’s Going On With Toronto Libraries?

"What’s Going On With Toronto Libraries?" National Post / Natalie Alcoba.
Toronto: The National Post Online, July 28th 2011.

"In its most recent annual report, Toronto Public Library boasts it is the “busiest public library system in the world.” More than 18 million people visit the 99 branches, taking out more than 32-million different items. Circulation has been on the rise, increasing by 3.4% in 2010 over the previous year. Borrowing e-titles jumped an impressive 70%, but still only represents 0.8% of overall circulation. The circulation of print materials was stable, while audio books and DVDs increased. Since 2006, visits to the libraries website have increased by 26%. A survey shows that 73% of Torontonians use the library, said KPMG, a consulting firm that provided councillors with several reports on what services the city might consider cutting for budget reasons. The Toronto Public Library offers more than 27,000 programs, most of them for children, that support early literacy and book clubs."

Annual Report of Public Libraries 2010

Annual Report of Public Libraries 2010 / Federation of Ontario Public Libraries.
Ontario: Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, 2011.

From Numbers to Values: Challenges in Telling the Whole Story of the User Experience

"From Numbers to Values: Challenges in Telling the Whole Story of the User Experience." CLA Conference 2011 / Alvin M. Schrader.
Halifax: Canadian Library Association Conference, May 2011.

National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report, 1999: Cultural and Economic Impact of Libraries on Canada

National Core Library Statistics Program Statistical Report, 1999: Cultural and Economic Impact of Libraries on Canada / Alvin M. Schrader & Michael R. Brundin.
Ottawa: Library & Archives Canada, 2002.

"It also becomes evident that libraries as physical, and increasingly virtual places, play multiple roles in the lives of their users; and, moreover, that Canadians place a high value on libraries as places for the construction of community—whether the communities are those of the general public, post-secondary students and faculty, school students and their teachers, or employees in government, industry, and the not for-profit sector. 

In the quest for quantitative descriptions and generators of economic activity, we should remember that each library transaction—whether it is a reference question, onsite consultation of material, borrowing for off-site use, or remote access—represents a “moment of truth” in the lives of Canadian library users.   

Each interaction is an opportunity for librarians and their staff to contribute to the personal and professional satisfaction of clients of every age and walk of life every day of the year in every corner of the nation.  Every outcome of library service is an individual’s story."

Librarians in the US from 1880-2009

"Librarians in the US from 1880-2009." OUPblog / Sydney Beveridge, Susan Weber & Andrew A. Beveridge.
Oxford: Oxford University Press Blog, June 20th 2011.

Public Libraries Fight to Stay Relevant in Digital Age

"Public Libraries Fight to Stay Relevant in Digital Age." Christian Science Monitor /
Boston: Christian Science Monitor Online, June 27th 2011.

"According to a recent ALA report issued by Mr. Inouye's office, it is vital that libraries adapt to the shift in how patrons seek resources.

"The purely physical library is no longer strategically realistic," the report reads, adding that while most public libraries are maintaining their physical branches, they are increasingly being drawn toward the "virtual endpoint."

In addition to making technological strides, librarians are stressing the many free resources available to patrons. With more adults out of work and money tight, the library is a place where people can conduct employment search efforts and even continue with leisurely endeavors."

Libraries Adapt to Meet Demands of Internet Age

"Libraries Adapt to Meet Demands of Internet Age." Reuters / Richard Chang.
London: Reuters Online, June 23rd 2011.

""The whole thing about the silent shushing librarian is no longer a reality," said Nader Qaimari, of Cengage Learning, which provides teaching and learning materials to educational institutions and libraries.

"The new librarian has been on Facebook or Twitter longer than you or I have. They're the most socially connected people I've ever met."

With so much information online, librarians have become free guides to learning and are often the first people job seekers turn to if they have no computer at home. During the recession libraries have become centers for career counseling, financial literacy and small business development. ...

A 2010 study by the nonprofit OCLC Online Computer Library Center found that Americans hit by the recession are 50 percent more likely to visit their library at least weekly and are nearly a third more likely to visit at least once a month.

"Eighty-one percent of economically impacted Americans have a library card compared to 68 percent of Americans who have not been impacted," the report said."

Serendipity is Not Quantifiable

"Serendipity is Not Quantifiable." Tinfoil Raccoon / Rochelle Hartman.
Bloomington, IL: Tinfoil Raccoon, June 7th 2011.

"I got a reference question from a young man yesterday, the likes of which is not on the sheet of tracked reference questions. It was so simple that I was able to answer it off the top of my head. And it was so amazing that it made my heart nearly burst with joy. This is the first week of summer vacation, so we've had a lot of young people in the library. He looked to be high school-aged, but could have been in college. His question?  "Do you have a poetry section?" Since he was student-aged and a boy, I assumed this was a forced march for him, so I asked him if he was looking for something in particular--maybe even a particular poem (which I would have tried to Google for him). "No, I just want to browse."  Just. Want. To. Browse...Poetry?  I kept my cool. I probably smiled a little too broadly, but calmly directed him to 811 and let him do what libraries have let patrons do for decades: provide him with the non-commercial experience of leisurely browsing and discovery."