The Role Of Libraries In A Networked World (2008)

The role of libraries in a networked world Lee Rainie – Director Pew Internet Project Texas Library Association April 17, 2008

Eight hallmarks of
the new digital ecosystem

Hallmark 1
Media and gadgets are ubiquitous parts of everyday life

Home media ecology - 1975
Product Route to home Display Local storage
TV stations phone TV Cassette/ 8-track
broadcast TV radio
broadcast radio stereo Vinyl album
News mail
Advertising newspaper delivery phone
paper
Radio Stations non-electronic
Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

Home media ecology – now
Product Route to home Display Local storage
cable TiVo (PVR) VCR
TV stations DSL TV
Info wireless/phone radio DVD
“ Daily me” broadcast TV PC Web-based storage
content iPod /MP3 server/ TiVo (PVR)
Cable Nets broadcast radio stereo PC
Web sites satellite monitor web storage
Local news mail headphones CD/CD-ROM
Content from express delivery pager
individuals iPod / storage portable gamer MP3 player / iPod
Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFI cell phone pagers - PDAs
Advertising newspaper delivery phone cable box
Radio stations camcorder/camera PDA/Palm game console
game console paper
Satellite radio non-electronic storage sticks/disks
Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

Hallmark 2
The internet, especially broadband connectivity, is at the center of the revolution

Internet and broadband adoption 1995-2007 Internet users Broadband at home

Hallmark 3
People can enjoy media, gather information, and carry on communication anywhere. Wirelessness is its own adventure.

Wireless connectivity 2004-2007

Mobile devices – college student ownership
88% of college students own cell phones
81% own digital cameras
63 own MP3 players
55% own video cameras
55% own laptops
27% of college students own a PDA or Blackberry
----
77% of college students play games online

Hallmark 4
Ordinary citizens have a chance to be publishers, movie makers, artists, song creators, and story tellers

62% of young adult internet users have uploaded photos to the internet
----
34% of all users have done this
Content creation

58% of online teens have created their own profile on a social network site like MySpace or Facebook
----
33% of online adults have such profiles
Content creation

39% of online teens share their own creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories, or videos
----
21% of online adults have done this
Content creation

33% of college students keep blogs and regularly post
----
12% of online adults have a blog
Content creation

28% of young adult internet users have uploaded videos to the web
----
14% of all adult internet users have done this
Content creation

26% of online teens report keeping their own personal webpage
----
14% of online adults have their own page
Content creation

26% of young adults have created or worked on webpages or blogs for others, including those for groups they belong to, friends or school assignments
----
13% of online adults do this
Content creation

Content creation 20% of online young adults say they remix content they find online into their own artistic creations ---- 11% of online adults have done this

19% of online young adults have created an avatar that interacts with others online
----
Content creation

15% of young adult internet users have uploaded videos to the web
----
Content creation

Hallmark 5
All those content creators have an audience.

55% of young adult internet users use video-sharing sites
---
33% of all adults go to such sites
Accessing new information content

54% of college students have read blogs
---
36% of all adults do that

44% of young adult internet users seek information at Wikipedia sites
---
36% of all adults use them

14% of young internet users download podcasts
---
12% of all adults do

Hallmark 6
Many are sharing what they know and what they feel online and that is building conversations and communities

37% of young adult internet users have rated a person, product, or service online
---
32% of all adults have done so
Information sharing and evaluation

34% of online young adults have tagged online content
---
28% of all adults have done that

25% of younger internet users have commented on videos
They also post comments on blogs and photos
---
13% of all adults have commented on videos

Hallmark 7
Online Americans are customizing their online experiences thanks to Web 2.0 tools

~ 40% of younger internet users customize news and other information pages; ~ half are on specialty listservs
Information customization

~ A quarter to a third of younger internet users get RSS feeds
Information customization

Hallmark 8
Different people use these technologies in different ways

Why a tech-user typology? Information & communications technology Applications

PIP’s tech-user typology
Assets
Internet (and broadband at home)
Computer use (laptop & desktop)
Cell phones
iPods
Web cams
Video recorders & digital cameras
Actions
User-generated content
Gaming
Cell phone applications
Attitudes
Help me be productive?
Give me more control?
Information overload?

High end – Group 1 OMNIVORES (8% of the population)
Data Profile
Age: late 20s
Gender: Male dominant
Race: Diverse
Home b-band: 89%
Special traits
Students
Wireless
Photo and video freaks
They have the most information gadgets and services, which they use voraciously to participate in cyberspace and express themselves online and do a range of Web 2.0 activities such as blogging or managing their own Web pages.

High end – Group 2 CONNECTORS (7% of the population) Between featured-packed cell phones and frequent online use, they connect to people and manage digital content using ICTs – all with high levels of satisfaction about how ICTs let them work with community groups and pursue hobbies.
Data Profile
Age: late 30s
Gender: Female dominant
Race: Diverse (blacks)
SES: Upscale
Home b-band: 86%
Special traits
Email fanatics + IM
Cell phones
Media experiences by other means
Suspect their gadgets can do more; sometimes need help

High end – Group 3 LACKLUSTER VETERANS (8% of the population) They are frequent users of the internet and less avid about cell phones. They are not thrilled with ICT-enabled connectivity.
Data Profile
Age: 40ish
Gender: Male dominant
Race: Diverse, trending white
SES: Upscale
Home b-band: 77%
Special traits
Tech is necessary, not exiting
Dislike “always on” world
Parents (child at home)
Trad. channels of chatter and info predominate

High end – Group 4 PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCERS (8% of population) They have strongly positive views about how technology lets them keep up with others, do their jobs, and learn new things.
Data Profile
Age: 40ish
Gender: Parity
Race: Diverse (Latino)
SES: Upscale
Home b-band: 71%
Special traits
Flip side of lackluster vets
Love tech for work use
Don’t have time or inclination to create or browse for fun

Middle end – Group 1 MOBILE CENTRICS (10% of the population) They fully embrace the functionality of their cell phones. They use the internet, but not often, and like how ICTs connect them to others.
Data Profile
Age: early 30s
Gender: Parity
Race: Minorities rule
SES: Middle income
Home b-band: 37%
Special traits
Phone texters and photo takers
Not early adopters
More likely to be single
Not as many gadgets

Middle end – Group 2 CONNECTED BUT HASSLED (10% of population) They have invested in a lot of technology, but they find the connectivity intrusive and information something of a burden.
Data Profile
Age: mid-40s
Race: White
SES: Middle income
Home b-band: 80%
Special traits
Go online less frequently
Tech is not fun – it’s stressful
Experience info overload

Low end – Group 1 INEXPERIENCED EXPERIMENTERS (8% of pop.) They occasionally take advantage of interactivity, but if they had more experience, they might do more with ICTs.
Data Profile
Age: 50ish
Race: Diverse
SES: Middle income
Home b-band: 15%
Special traits
Less online experience
Fewer tech assets
Fascinated with tech, and willing to try gadgets with coaching

Low end – Group 2 LIGHT BUT SATISFIED (15% of population) They have some technology, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. They are satisfied with what ICTs do for them.
Data Profile
Age: mid-50s
Gender: Parity
Race: Whites
SES: Below average
Home b-band: 15%
Special traits
Traditional media occupies time
Tech doesn’t do much for them
Late adopters

Low end – Group 3 INDIFFERENTS (11% of population) Despite having either cell phones or online access, these users use ICTs only intermittently and find connectivity annoying.
Data Profile
Age: late 40s
Gender: Parity
Race: Whites
SES: Below average
Home b-band: 12%
Special traits
Active tech resistors surrounded by gadgets
Time pressed
Truthful?

Low end – Group 4 OFF THE NETWORK (15% of population) Those with neither cell phones nor internet connectivity tend to be older adults who are content with old media.
Data Profile
Age: mid-60s+
Race: Diverse (blacks)
SES: Poorest group
Home b-band: 0%
Special traits
Old media and tech are everything
Tech wary or even hostile

What all this connectivity does to us
It changes our relationship to information
It changes our relationship to each other

Life changes in 10 important ways
Volume of info grows -- “long tail” expands
Velocity of info increases – “smart mobs” emerge
Venues of intersecting with info and people multiply – place shifting and time shifting occurs… “absent presence” occurs
Venturing for info changes – search strategies and search expectations spread in the Google era

Vigilance for info transforms – attention is truncated (“continuous partial attention”) and elongated (“deep dives”)
Valence (relevance) of info improves – “Daily Me” and “Daily Us” gets made
Vetting of info becomes more “social” – credibility tests change as people ping their social networks
Life changes in 10 important ways – cont.

Viewing of info is disaggregated and becomes more “horizontal” (Allen Renear UI-Champaign-Urbana) – new reading strategies emerge as coping mechanisms
Voting on and ventilating about info proliferates – tagging, rating, and commenting on material is enabled – collective intelligence emerges

in V ention of info and the visibility of new creators is enhanced – the read/write, Web 2.0 world is about participation

What role does this leave for libraries?
Libraries can plug into people’s social networks
Be a “node” in people’s networks – or “weak tie”

Background of research
Institute for Museum and Library Services grant
UIC partnership
Government Printing Office query
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp

Visited library in the past year
53% of American adults
42% Matures (62-71) % who visited a public library Gen. (ages) 32% 46% 57% 59% 62% After Work (72+) Leading Boomers (53-61) Trailing Boomers (43-52) Gen X (31-42) Gen Y (18-30)

Who turns to libraries for problem solving
Young adults (18-29) = 21%
Oldest (over 70) = 15%
Blacks = 26%
Latinos = 22%
Lower income (HH <$40,000) = 17%

Once they are at the library, they are active AND happy
69% got help from library staff
68% used computers – 38% got one-on-one instruction
58% sought reference materials
42% used newspapers and magazines

What role does this leave for libraries?
Libraries can plug into people’s social networks
They can help teach new literacies

Graphic literacy – the language of the screen.
Navigation – the transition to non-linear format.
Context – the importance of seeing connections.
Focus – the value of reflection.
Skepticism – the capacity to evaluate
Ethical behavior – the will to be responsible
Librarian blogger Pam Berger’s list http://www.infosearcher.com/

Personal literacy – understanding your digital footprints
Pew Internet’s add-on

Thank you!
Lee Rainie
Director
Pew Internet & American Life Project
1615 L Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
[email_address]
202-419-4500

http://www.pewinternet.org	221
http://pewinternet.org	20
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	6
http://corncobonastick.blogspot.com	4
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com	3
http://www.pewinternet.com	2
http://74.125.155.132	1
http://www.slideshare.net	1

The Role Of Libraries In A Networked World (2008)

by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project on Feb 04, 2010

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

8 Embeds 258

Statistics

The Role Of Libraries In A Networked World (2008) — Presentation Transcript