Yesterday, Pew Research Center released “
From Distant Admirers to Library Lovers–and beyond,” a study that concentrates on how people feel about and interact with public libraries. The report creates a typology which “describes nine groups of Americans that reflect different patterns of public library engagement” from
Library Lovers, about 10% of the population, and
Information Omnivores, 20% of Americans, to
Off the Grid, 4%.
The “
Summary of Findings” offers a quick look at the typologies and some conclusions about broader trends, such as:
- most Americans do not feel overwhelmed by information,
- that library use is often tied to life stage or circumstance, and
- that many people need and want trusted helpers in finding information.
This report is the third in a trilogy of studies on libraries. The first report, “
The Rise of e-reading” was released in April 2012, the
second, on library services, came out in January 2013.
