A Pew survey found that the majority of millennials have visited a public library this year, making them the most prolific library-using generation. An ALA spokesperson attributed this to the libraries' commitment to providing free, fast broadband and the ability to borrow devices such as tablets — but the survey found that very few patrons use the libraries' apps.
Beyond demonstrating generational differences in library use, the survey showed other demographic differences in library use. For instance:*
Women are more likely than men to say they visited a public library or bookmobile in the past 12 months (54% vs. 39%). And women are similarly more likely to use library websites (37% vs. 24%).
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College graduates are more likely than those whose education ended with a high school diploma to use libraries or bookmobiles in the past 12 months (56% vs. 40%). And a similar gap applies to use of library websites.*
Parents of minor children are more likely than non-parents to have used a library in the past 12 months (54% vs. 43%).
Millennials are the most likely generation of Americans to use public libraries
[Abigail Geiger/Pew]
Guess who uses public libraries the most? Millennials
[Jessica Suerth/CNN]
