This document discusses the role of libraries in the digital age. It outlines that the document will cover the worldwide impact of libraries, innovations in libraries, and partnerships with libraries. It then provides data that shows library services people want, which services people view as very important, and how public access venues provide people's first experiences with computers and developing ICT skills. It also shows data on internet access at home across countries and examples of library innovations in Romania, Ghana, and worldwide. Finally, it provides data that over 40% of organizations surveyed would be very likely to support a partnership program with public libraries.

1. The role of libraries in the
digital age
A View from Abroad
Chris Coward
Floro Semana
Bogota, Colombia
16 October, 2013

2. Outline
Part I – Worldwide impact
Part II – Innovations
Part III – Partnerships

3. Services people want
50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
e-book classes
Mobile app for library services
Mobile GPS app to find library resources
Online accounts with recommendations
Series 1
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
Library Services in the Digital Age

4. “Very important” services
Borrowing
books
80%
Reference
librarians
80%
Free access to
computers &
internet
77%
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
Library Services in the Digital Age

5. THE CRITICAL FIRST TOUCH
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines
%ofusers
First use of computer at public access venue First use of Internet at public access venue
 For more than half of the user survey respondents, a public access
venue provided them with their:
• first ever contact with computers (50%)
• first ever contact with the Internet (62%)

6. DEVELOPMENT OF ICT SKILLS
Users identified public
access venues as the
most important place
for development of their
computer (40%) and
Internet (50%) skills
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Public
access
venue
Home School
Computer
Internet

7. % of households with internet at home
Quick, Prior, Toombs, Taylor and Currenti (2013): Cross-European survey to measure users’ perceptions of the benefits of ICT in public libraries
Countries with highest levels of library computer usage:
Denmark and Finland

8. Library innovations
 Romania: EU agriculture funding
 Ghana: Health information
 Worldwide: Innovation spaces
• Co-working spaces
• Hackerspaces

10. Partnering with libraries
42%
31%
23%
4%
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not very likely
Very unlikely
Fellows, M., Coward, C., & Sears, R. (2012). Beyond Access: Perceptions of libraries as development partners
What is the likelihood of your organization supporting a program that involved a
partnership with public libraries?

12. Technology & Social Change Group
University of Washington Information School
tascha.uw.edu | @taschagroup
Chris Coward
ccoward@uw.edu
THANK YOU