The Internet and Libraries:Snapshots from a new media landscape
2.06.08Mary MaddenPew Internet & American Life Project
BayNet and SLA-SF Meeting
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It’s not a big truck…
…and it’s not a series of tubes!
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Internet Researcher…
…a valid profession for people and cats.
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Most important finding of the project:
!
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Who we are…
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Who’s Online?
• 75% of adults in the U.S. use the internet– up from 46% in 2000
• 93% of teens ages 12-17 use the internet– up from 73% in 2000
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Then and Now…
2000
5% with broadband at home
50% owned a cell phone
=slow and stationary connections
2008
55% with broadband at home
80% own a cell phone
=fast and mobile connections
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Youth of today, librarians of tomorrow
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Libraries understand change.
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Pew Internet Project: Libraries Data
• 53% of American adults reported going to a local public library in the past 12 months.
• Public library patrons are more likely to be:– younger adults (ages 18-30)– those with higher income and education– those who are internet users– Parents with children living at home
• No significant differences by race and ethnicity.
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Public Library Visits by Age
Generation
(ages)
Gen Y
(18-30)
Gen X
(31-42)
Trailing
Boomers
(43-52)
Leading
Boomers
(53-61)
Matures
(62-71)
After Work
(72+)
% who visited a public library
62% 59% 57% 46% 42% 32%
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Libraries and Problem Solving
Those who turn to libraries are successful and satisfied: They especially appreciate access to computers and the internet.
• Library problem solvers are most likely to seek education-related information.
• Generation Y is the most likely to turn to libraries for problem-solving information.– 40% of Gen Y said they would go to a library
in the future for help compared with just 20% of those over age 30.
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Today’s Teen – Born 1990
Personal computers are 15 years old
Tim Berners-Lee writes World Wide Web program
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Today’s Teen – First Grade 1996
Palm Pilot goes onthe market
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Today’s Teen – Fourth Grade 1999
Sean Fanning creates Napster
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Today’s Teen – Starts Middle School 2001
Wikipedia - 2001
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Today’s Teen – Middle School
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Today’s Teen – Middle School 2003
Skype - 2003
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Today’s Teen – Starts High School 2004
Podcasts – 2004
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Today’s Teen – Sophomore Year 2005
YouTube – 2005
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Today’s Teen – Junior Year 2006
The Year of MySpace:
• More than 200 million accounts created
• Third most popular site in the U.S.
• 55% of online teens use social networking sites
• 48% of social networking teens use the sites every day
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Profiles: Switchboards for social life
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Lesson #1: Get Creative
– Teens have embraced Web 2.0—blogging, remixing and sharing their creations without fear.
– We give teens the time to play and make mistakes, and adults need this time, too.
• 64% of online teens are content creators
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Lesson #2: Start Conversations
• Most teens receive feedback on the material they post, and most give feedback to others.
• Web 2.0 tools offer libraries the opportunity to solicit feedback and shape conversations about their programs and catalogs.
Teen content creators solicit feedback
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Lesson #3: Reinforce Relationships
– Rather than replace offline relationships with online ones, social media tools work best when they augment relationships that have other dimensions.
• 91% of social networking teens use the sites to stay in touch with offline friends
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Lesson #4: Cultivate Semi-public Spaces
• Teens curate social spaces where they feel comfortable sharing ideas and expressing themselves.
• Semi-public spaces like the Library 2.0 group on Ning offer librarians the opportunity to ask questions and hash out new ideas.
Teens are skilled navigators of the semi-public Web
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Privacy: LOLCats speak up!
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Know your story online…
• Search well and search often. Don’t wait until something bad or embarrassing happens.
Self-literacy: A critical component of digital literacy in everyday life.
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Take a ride on the WayBack Machine…
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“Digital Footprints”: Headline FindingsStudy: More Americans Googling themselves
-AP47% of adult internet users have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22%, as reported by the Pew Internet Project in 2002.
Pew survey: Half of us have looked up people we know on Internet
-SF Chronicle53% have searched for information connected to at least one key group of people in their lives.
U.S. Adults Too Busy Googling Each Other to Worry Much About Privacy
-Information Week60% say they are not worried about how much information is available about them online.
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Other Key Findings
• Few monitor their online presence with great regularity.
• 60% of those who search for their names actually find relevant information about themselves.
• One in ten internet users have a job that requires them to self-promote or market their name online.
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Who am I? Self-Googling 101…
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A Second Opinion…
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Wait a minute…
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Me with a moustache?
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No introduction needed…
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Take this as you go…
• Listen and learn from your users—even if they’re half your age
• Make self-literacy part of digital media literacy for your staff and patrons
•Give your staff time to play!
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Thank you!
Mary Madden
Senior Research Specialist
Pew Internet & American Life Project
1615 L Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
202-419-4500
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Photo Credits:
Slide 2: Uploaded by Jef Poskanzer. Available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jef/2096636470/
Slide 3: Uploaded by McBeth. Available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbeth/2068997749/
Slide 4:”Librarians Rock” t-shirt available at: http://www.cafepress.com
Slide 8: Uploaded by London Public Library. Available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonpubliclibrary/987125878/
Slide 9: Photo credit #1: Uploaded by Justin Shearer. Available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinshearer/2210097543/ Photo credit #2: Uploaded by gwen. Available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwen/1467020008/.
Slide 21: “You looked better on MySpace” t-shirt available at: http://www.cafepress.com
Slide 27: Used with permission from www.icanhascheezburger.com
Slide 37: Uploaded by foxypar4. Available at: http://flickr.com/photos/foxypar4/428376855/