The companion slides from the April 2023 "Where did you get that book" survey webinar from the Freckle Project. For more information and to see other surveys, please visit https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/freckle_project_surveys_reports.

1. Freckle project: 6th survey
(April 2023)
Tim Coates
With thanks to John Chrastka of the EveryLibrary Institute
May 2023

2. Background: US - 10 years library visits
IMLS
-
200,000,000
400,000,000
600,000,000
800,000,000
1,000,000,000
1,200,000,000
1,400,000,000
1,600,000,000
1,800,000,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Library visits

3. US -10 years of library circulations
IMLS
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Digital circulations per person - - 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.3
Print circulations per person 8.0 7.9 7.5 7.2 6.8 6.5 6.2 5.9 5.8 5.6 3.7
-
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
Circulation per person: digital and print

5. Survey 6
dates:
April 24- May 2; 2023
.

6. Survey sizes : Respondents
Adult respondents are asked if they can answer on behalf of family members under 17
Respondents are asked if they or family members work in libraries or publishing. If they say yes,
their answers are not included in these results
Numbers of responses used (including children)
April 2019 – 1600
April 2021– 704
October 2021 – 960
April 2022 – 743
September 2022– 887
April 2023– 845

7. Do Americans watch movies or TV, play
computer games or read or use books?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
..2022 ..2023
Books Movies Games TV Series

8. Do Americans read, listen to, or use books?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4/1/2017 4/1/2018 4/1/2019 4/1/2020 4/1/2021 4/1/2022 4/1/2023 4/1/2024 4/1/2025
% answering yes

9. Do Americans read, listen to, or use books?
62%
49%
16%
25%
3% 14%
4/1/2017 4/1/2018 4/1/2019 4/1/2020 4/1/2021 4/1/2022 4/1/2023 4/1/2024 4/1/2025
% answering yes
Print eBook Audio

10. Do Americans read print books?
62%
47% 48%
52% 51% 49%
.April 19 Apr-21 Oct-21 Apr-22 Sep-22 Apr-23
% answering yes- they read books in print

11. Do Americans download books?
16%
28%
27%
25% 25% 24%
3%
12%
16%
14% 13% 14%
Apr-19
Jun-19
Aug-19
Oct-19
Dec-19
Feb-20
Apr-20
Jun-20
Aug-20
Oct-20
Dec-20
Feb-21
Apr-21
Jun-21
Aug-21
Oct-21
Dec-21
Feb-22
Apr-22
Jun-22
Aug-22
Oct-22
Dec-22
Feb-23
Apr-23
% answering yes
eBook Audio

12. All US reading: Print vs digital ?
62%
49%
19%
38%
Apr-19
Jun-19
Aug-19
Oct-19
Dec-19
Feb-20
Apr-20
Jun-20
Aug-20
Oct-20
Dec-20
Feb-21
Apr-21
Jun-21
Aug-21
Oct-21
Dec-21
Feb-22
Apr-22
Jun-22
Aug-22
Oct-22
Dec-22
Feb-23
Apr-23
Print Digital

13. The post Covid revival:
Do Americans visit bookstores, cinemas or libraries?
38%
63%
35%
56%
32%
60%
Sep-22 Apr-23
Bookstore Cinema Library

14. Who reads print books?
(April 2023)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Age up to 9 Age 9-17 Age 18-29 Age 30-44 Age 45-60 Age over 60

15. Where do Americans get their books?
(April 2023)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Internet / Amazon Bookstore Friends /home Public Library Public Library
website/app
School/college

16. Where do Americans get their books?
(April 2023)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Commercial retail Libraries and Schools Friends /home Other places

17. What do Americans use libraries for?
(April 2023)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Read, study,
borrow books
For
information
For an event Internet,
printer etc
A program Borrow a
movie
Use wi-fi

18. What do Americans use libraries for?
(April 2023)
40%
15%
9%
7%
2%
To borrow or
renew books
To read the
books
To research To study To borrow
audio

19. April 2023:
74% of library visitors also visit bookstores

20. April 2023:
70% of bookstore visitors also use public libraries

21. Libraries: print vs digital?
13% 13%
1% 11%
Apr-19 Oct-19 Apr-20 Oct-20 Apr-21 Oct-21 Apr-22 Oct-22 Apr-23
Increase of digital lending during the pandemic
Print Digital

22. Libraries during the pandemic
14%
16% 19% 18% 19%
24%
Apr-19 Oct-19 Apr-20 Oct-20 Apr-21 Oct-21 Apr-22 Oct-22 Apr-23
Increase of library lending during the pandemic
Combined Print and Digital

23. What age groups use libraries for reading?
(April 2023)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Age up to 9 Age 9-17 Age 18-29 Age 30-44 Age 45-60 Age over 60

24. What makes people choose a book?
(April 2023)
21%
18%
17%
16%
7% 7%
The subject Family and
friends
I just found it The author Marketing or
reviews
Social Media

25. April 2023:
46% of Americans use a library website

26. What are library websites/Apps used for?
(April 2023
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
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27. Background: IMLS data
140 million print books were removed and not replaced
from US public libraries between 2011 and 2020
©The Freckle survey, questions and reports are: copyright – Tim Coates

28. 140m print books have been removed and not replaced
IMLS
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
US Public libraries 812,499,2 795,312,9 786,526,5 777,241,3 768,377,0 752,753,5 733,739,5 716,283,3 711,826,4 693,558,3 673,239,0
400,000,000
500,000,000
600,000,000
700,000,000
800,000,000
900,000,000
US Public libraries : number of books available

29. Messages for strategy
1. Print books are more than half the service.
2. Reading in print is the main activity for public library buildings.
3. Children mostly read in print
4. The collections of digital material need to be comprehensive
5. Book banning is a complex issue
6. There is a need to work with publishers, not in conflict.
©The Freckle survey, questions and reports are: copyright – Tim Coates

30. Freckle project: 6th survey
(April 2023)
Tim Coates, tim@freckle.us
With thanks to John Chrastka of the EveryLibrary Institute
john.chrastka@everylibrary.org
Recorded 16 May 2023