[Web4lib] Cognitive dissonance regarding recent Pew report

Tue Jan 8 15:55:42 EST 2008

The way I took it was that we can't blame the Internet for whether or
not people show up in the library. The people most likely to use the
Internet are also the ones most likely to use the library (p. 11). Also,
the survey says that more than 2 out of 3 people who went to the library
used a computer, and most of those were looking up information on the
Internet. 

It's not as if the desire for information is a finite quantity. I'm
sure I'm not the first person who's come across something that caught my
attention online and then went to the library looking for more. Kind of
like antique shops -- there more there are in one place, the better they
all do. The more places there are where people can find out things, the
more they'll look for. 

If the concern is relevance, the finding that startled me was that
people used television or radio at a higher rate (16%) than using a
library (13%) when looking for help dealing with a specific problem. 

As for how many people sought information at the library before the
Internet... tough to say. However, it does appear that public library
visits per capita have been on the rise, not declining. 
http://www.nclis.gov/statsurv/NCES/plu/trends/trendresults.html 
(scroll down to the first set of results). 

I remember in high school being utterly surprised to find out that I
could call a librarian and ask a question -- and I was a regular
library-goer. The issue to me is not whether people can find things out
on the Internet and bypass the library, but that it doesn't cross many
people's minds to use the library as an information source. That's what
concerns me. Most people can find most things they need online - but at
some point they'll either hit a snag or want something more in-depth.
The question is whether libraries will find a way to be there at that
point of need. 

Susan Vittitow, Librarian
Library Development Office
Wyoming State Library
516 S. Greeley Hwy,
Cheyenne WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-5915
Fax: 307/777-6289
svitti at state.wy.us

>>> Tana Elias <telias at scls.lib.wi.us> 1/8/2008 12:59 PM >>>
I'm having the same problem as Bernie.

To me, two of the most interesting parts were

"The library users who did receive help were 
quite satisfied. Nearly four in five (79%) say
they were very satisfied with the assistance they 
received from the library staff, and 19%
say there were satisfied. Only 1% said they were unsatisfied.
Library help is effective. Among those who 
received help at the library, 88% say they
found a lot or some of what they were seeking, 
including 38% who say a lot. By contrast,
among those who did not seek help at the library, 
only 53% found a lot or some of what
they were seeking, including 29% who say a lot."  (p. 21)

and

"But many more people consider going to libraries 
than actually do. This suggests that
libraries should try to untangle the complex web 
of reasons why different groups of
people * even those who might profit most from 
using the library * don*t in fact use the
library, and in some cases, actually shun using 
it. The reasons are likely to challenge
many assumptions about the digital divide."  (p. 31)

What I take from it is that the people who 
actually use the library are mostly 
satisfied.  But it's hard to get people to use 
the library, and the farther they are from their 
school years, the less likely they are to use the 
library.  Which leaves a lot of marketing possibilities.

In 2006, I heard Alane Wilson of OCLC talk about 
perceptions of libraries and she mentioned a 
library use study from 1948 that had results 
similar to OCLC's 2005 survey, Perceptions of 
Libraries and Information Resources.  You can 
read more here 
http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/public-use-of-library-and-other.html

Tana Elias
Madison (WI) Public Library

At 01:05 PM 1/8/2008, B.G. Sloan wrote:
>
>   I'll admit upfront that survey research and 
> statistics are not my strong suit, so maybe I 
> am missing something. But something strikes me 
> as odd about the publicity surrounding this 
> report. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something and someone can set me
straight?
>
>   I finally took a look at the recent Pew 
> report that's being touted as challenging the 
> assumption that libraries are losing relevance 
> in the internet age. (Report at: 
> http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/Pew_UI_LibrariesReport.pdf.) 
> There's something that I find confusing...
>
>   The IMLS press release is titled "Survey 
> Challenges Belief that the Internet Reduces 
> Library Use". One of the paragraphs in the Pew 
> press release has this lead sentence: "The 
> survey results challenge the assumption that 
> libraries are losing relevance in the internet age."
>
>   That sounds very encouraging. My confusion 
> comes after reading the report itself. Page v 
> of the report lists the following research 
> question: "What sources of information do 
> people consult when they need to address 
> problems?"  Here's the major finding for that 
> question: "More people turned to the internet 
> than any other source of information and 
> support, including experts, family members, 
> government agencies, or libraries." The 
> respondents picked public libraries dead last 
> (seventh out of seven). The report notes: "13% went to the public
library."
>
>   Then (on page 22) the report says: "Twelve 
> percent of respondents say it is very likely 
> they would go to the public library in the 
> future for information or assistance in dealing 
> with a problem, and 17% say they are somewhat 
> likely to do so. Another 17% say they are 
> somewhat unlikely to go to the public library 
> and 54% say they are very unlikely to go in the 
> future." I take that to mean that nearly three 
> fourths of respondents said they would be 
> unlikely to go to the library for assistance with future problems?
>
>   I'm having trouble seeing how the actual 
> report itself supports the contention that the 
> results challenge the assumption that libraries 
> are losing relevance in the internet age.
>
>   Like I said...maybe I am misunderstanding something?
>
>   Bernie Sloan
>
>
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Tana Elias, Web Resources Coordinator
Madison Public Library
201 W. Mifflin St.
Madison, WI  53703
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org 
telias at scls.lib.wi.us
608-266-4953 

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