Tag Archives: PEW

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

New Pew Internet Report: Library Services in the Digital Age

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Patrons embrace new technologies – and would welcome more. But many still want printed books to hold their central place at public libraries.

The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising popularity of e-books is helping transform Americans’ reading habits. In this changing landscape, public libraries are trying to adjust their services to these new realities while still serving the needs of patrons who rely on more traditional resources. In a new survey of Americans’ attitudes and expectations for public libraries, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds that many library patrons are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.

“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,” noted Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Analyst at the Pew Internet Project, and co-author of a new report on the survey findings. “While many patrons appreciate being able to access new digital resources at libraries, they also say they value having print books and other traditional resources at libraries and still want a personal connection with library staff. Many libraries are torn between expanding their digital offerings on the latest platforms and still providing quality resources for patrons who may lack experience with technology or the means to own the latest devices.”

 The report explores:
• How Americans use public libraries
• Public priorities for libraries
• What new services people say they would use in the future

“The level of public eagerness for new services seems to be matched by wariness of changes in traditional library activities that patrons have used for years,” said Lee Rainie, Director at the Pew Internet Project and co-author of the report on these findings. “These findings paint a picture of a public that wants its libraries to be all things to all patrons. There is no clear roadmap of public priorities for libraries, so different communities will likely come up with different mixes of services as they move into the future.”

Read or download the full report: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/Library-services/

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Teen Research Skills on the Internet

Question Mark

So, what do you think, has the Internet harmed students’ research skills?

A new survey of teachers by the Pew Internet & American Life Project  finds that many       educators believe the Internet has shortened students’ attention spans and weakened students’   research skills. I am not so sure about those two statements, but I was fascinated by some of the findings that mirror what our Bridging Information Literacy Across Libraries group discussed this year. A few stats from this blog post include:

  • “While 77 percent of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project instructors agree that the Internet and available search tools have had a “mostly positive” effect on student research, 87 percent say the same tools can easily distract students and contribute to shorter attention spans
  • Even more disconcerting, 64 percent of respondents say modern digital technologies “do more to distract students than to help them academically.
  • The news is not all bad. Of those teachers surveyed, 99 percent say that the Internet provides access to a wider range of sources and information; while 65 percent agree that the web has helped students become self-sufficient researchers

You will have to read the full blog post to get an answer to the six-million-dollar question: Has the Internet conditioned students to expect too much too fast?”

Last of all, as you read this post ask yourself why librarians are digging deep to understand what their role is going to be in the future! It seems crystal clear that we will be needed more than ever!

Read the full blog post at  EdTech magazine (12/2012)

If you want to go straight to the source, the overview and  full results of the  Pew Internet survey about How Teens Do Research in the Digital World is located at http://tinyurl.com/ca2noy5

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Young Adults and Library Usage – New PEW Study

According to a recent PEW study, a majority (60 percent) of young Americans ages 16 through 29 frequent and utilize libraries. Most use libraries for conducting research, borrowing print, audiobooks, and ebooks, and for reading magazines and newspapers. According to the survey, high schoolers in their late teens (ages 16-17) and college-aged young adults (ages 18-24) are most likely to have read a book or used the library in the past 12 months. This is important news for libraries of all types, as it indicates a youth that is receptive to and familiar with utilizing their library.

Interested in finding out more? Be sure to visit the article for more details!

So, what do you see in your libraries? Are your youth receptive to the resources available at their media center or public library? How are they most commonly gaining access to non-fiction and fiction titles? Is there still a love for print resources?

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Newspapers in the Digital Era

A recent study, from the PEW Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, has uncovered some interesting data regarding the newspaper industry. This study involved not only review of proprietary data from individual newspapers, but also in-depth interviews with over a dozen major media companies. Overall, the study found that only slow progress is being made as newspapers begin to move into the digital future – though there are some success stories worth review.

Currently, newspapers continue to only put a small effort into new digital revenues and tactics and trends show that newspapers are continuing to contract – resulting in staff layoffs, a small reduction in the number of U.S. newspapers, and possibly a reduction in print editions – from daily editions to select days a week.

In all, 38 newspapers from six different companies were involved in the study. On average it was found that newspapers are losing print advertising dollars at seven times the rate that they are growing digital ad revenue in the last full fiscal year. Some of these newspapers are even seeing their digital revenue fall by up to 37% in the last year. Even with major setbacks like these, there are some success stories. One newspaper, in particular, saw digital ad revenue grow by 63% and print grow 8%.

Many of the “success stories” are utilizing new strategies for growing their business including “smart” or targeted marketing based on customer’s online behavior,  advertising on mobile devices, holding events, offering consultation, or selling business products.

The data is showing that the newspapers that are showing some positive numbers are taking some huge risks. One media executive speculated that when undertaking a major overhaul for the digital era, that the newspaper has a 90% risk of failure and only a 10% chance of success. Even with such a risk, it is likely inevitable that newspapers will have to adapt to the digital environment – or fail. The research shows that though newspapers have increased subscription costs, their overall revenue is still down by more than 40% in the last decade. Scary numbers, indeed! To read more about this study, visit http://www.journalism.org/node/28629.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Online News Sources on the Rise

It will likely come as no surprise that the latest PEW Research Center publication, titled State of the News Media, that news accessed online is the only type of news source that is on the rise. As you’ll see from the graph embedded in the brief article, all other sources of news have actually declined. Traditional news sources experiencing a decline in use include cable television, magazines, audio, newspapers, and local TV.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/canadian/197440773/ by hellomike