PewInternet.org

How libraries add value to communities

Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project3.23.11Computers in Libraries – Washington, D.C. Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @Lrainie

2

Internet and Broadband Revolution

70% 66%

Broadband adoption by community type

Demographic factors correlated w/ broadband adoption

Positive correlation(in order of importance)

Negative correlation(in order of importance)

Household income of $75,000 or more per year

Having high school degree or less

College degree Senior citizen (age 65+)

Parent with minor child at home

Prefers speaking Spanish in our interviews

Married or living with partner Disabled

Employed full time African-American

10/5/2010 6Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Consequences for info ecosystem

Volume Velocity

Vibrance Valence /Relevance

Consequences for info ecosystem

Explosion of creators and niches

Networked creators among internet users• 62% are social networking site users• 55% share photos• 33% create content tags • 32% contribute rankings and ratings• 30% share personal creations • 26% post comments on sites and blogs• 15% have personal website• 15% are content remixers • 14% are bloggers• 12% use Twitter• 4%-17%??? use location-sharing services

Big challenge for librariesAtoms bits

Collections are

disrupted

Big value-add by libraries1 – Cover access divides

• 44% of those living below the poverty line used library connections• 61% of those ages 14-24 used them for

school• 54% of poor senior citizens used library

connections for health/wellness needs• 63% used library connections to help others

Source: Opportunity for All, Univ. of Washingon, Gates Foundation, IMLS http://cis.washington.edu/usimpact/documents/OPP4ALL_FinalReport.pdf

Big value-add by libraries2 – Cover participatory divides

• 2/3 of library connection users sought assistance from library staff

• 60% of library connectors use them for social purposes

• 42% for education purposes• 40% for jobs/career purposes• 37% health and wellness purposes• 33% for community engagement

Source: Opportunity for All, Univ. of Washingon, Gates Foundation, IMLS http://cis.washington.edu/usimpact/documents/OPP4ALL_FinalReport.pdf

But there is more libraries can do: Relevance & digital literacy are primary factors for not going online

Source: Pew Internet Project, May 2010 tracking survey

10/5/2010 13Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

14

Wireless Connectivity Revolution

Cell phone owners – 85% adults

96% 90% 85%

58%

Urban-84% Suburban-86% Rural-77%

2/22/2011 16

Mobile internet connectors – 57% adults

62% 59% 55%

Urban-60% Suburban-60% Rural-43%

Demographic factors related to mobile connectivity

Positive correlation Negative correlation

College grad Less than high school education

$75,000+ household income

<$30,000 household income

Parent of minor child Rural

Republican ??? Spanish dominant in language preference

10/5/2010 18Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Cell phones as social tools

2/22/2011 20

% of cell owners

• 54% send photo or video • 23% access a social networking

site• 20% watch a video • 15% post a photo/video online • 11% have purchased a product• 11% charitable donation by text • 10% status update service such

as Twitter

What about apps?

2/22/2011 21

Just two-thirds of this group actually uses the apps on their phone

App User Profile:• Male• Young• Well

educated/affluent

55% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in 2006

45% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005

50% of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in 2002

42% of adults own game consoles

7% of adults own e-book readers - Kindle

7% of adults own tablet computer – iPaddoubled in 6 months

Consequences for info ecosystem

Anywhere Any device

PresencePlace

Any time

Alone together

Big challenge for librariesPeople come to us We go to people

The library as

place becomes the library as placeless

resource

Big value-add by librariesHelp navigate and “make peace” with info

• Apps vs. web vs. traditional resource locators

• Access to real-time information• Context of information – augmented

reality• Sanctuary – quiet space

26

Social Networking Revolution

The social networking population is more diverse than you might think

2/22/2011 27

5x

5x

7x5x

Demographic factors correlated w/ SNS use

Positive correlation Negative correlation

Under age 30 Senior citizen (age 65+)

Female (overall)Male (frequency)

Rural

Parent with minor child at home

Non-cell user

Some college Disability

Urban

10/5/2010 28Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Online video

2/22/2011 29

What You Need to Know:• 69% of internet users (half of all US

adults) watch videos online – and not just funny cat videos

• 14% of internet users have uploaded their own video content (up from 8% in 2007); sharing as likely to occur on social networking sites as specialized video sites

Video creation

2/22/2011 30

What You Need to Know:

• 14% of adult internet users have posted video online

• Up from 8% in 2007

• Biggest growth among older adults, women

Online social networks + ubiquitous mobility

• Allows for immediate, spontaneous creation of networks

• Gives people a sense that there are more “friends” in their networks that they can access when they have needs

2/22/2011 31

Social Dashboard

Pervasive Awareness

Big shift for librariesExpertise and influence shifts to networks

Share the stage with amateur experts

Big value-add by libraries1 - Can be embedded in …

Attention zonesContinuous

partial attentionDeep divesInfo-snackingDay dreaming???

Media zonesSocial streamsImmersive Creative /

participatoryStudy / work

Big value-add by libraries2 – Can be nodes in social networks

• As sentries – word of mouth matters more• As information evaluators – they vouch

for/discredit a business’s credibility and authenticity

• As forums for action – everybody’s a broadcaster/publisher

Cosmic big value-add by libraries1 – Can be teachers of new literacies

- screen literacy - graphics and symbols - navigation literacy - connections and context literacy - skepticism - value of contemplative time - how to create content - ethical behavior in new world

Cosmic big value-add by libraries2 – Can help fill in civic gaps

- the big sort among institutions: public, private, non-profit reimagining roles

- the big sort on news and information landscape

- the big empowerment and move to networked individuals

Be not afraid