{"id":18863,"date":"2017-06-21T14:02:04","date_gmt":"2017-06-21T19:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/millennials-are-the-most-likely-generation-of-americans-to-use-public-libraries\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:44:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:44:01","slug":"millennials-are-the-most-likely-generation-of-americans-to-use-public-libraries","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2017\/06\/21\/millennials-are-the-most-likely-generation-of-americans-to-use-public-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Millennials are the most likely generation of Americans to use public libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Most<\/a><\/p>\n

\"(Drew<\/a>
(Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n\n

Millennials in\u00a0America are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult generation.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

A new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data from fall 2016 finds that 53% of Millennials (those ages 18 to 35 at the time) say they used a library or bookmobile in the previous 12 months. That compares with 45% of Gen Xers, 43% of Baby Boomers and 36% of those in the Silent Generation. (It is worth noting that the question wording specifically focused on use of public <\/em>libraries, not on-campus academic libraries.)<\/p>\n\n

All told, 46% of adults ages 18 and older say they used a public library or bookmobile in the previous 12 months \u2013 a share that is broadly consistent with Pew Research Center findings in recent years.<\/p>\n\n

Members of the youngest adult generation are also more likely than their elders to have used library websites. About four-in-ten Millennials (41%) used a library website in the past 12 months, compared with 24% of Boomers. In all, 31% of adults used a library website in the past 12 months, which is similar to the percentage that reported using library websites in late 2015.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Relatively high library use by Millennials might be related to changes<\/a> that many public libraries have undergone in the past 20 years. Previous Pew Research Center surveys have documented how extensively people use computers and internet connections<\/a> at libraries, as well as how interested they are in extra services<\/a> such as literacy programs for young children, meeting spaces for community groups, and technology \u201cpetting zoos\u201d<\/a> that provide opportunities to explore 3-D printers and other tech gadgetry.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Across all generations, use of public library mobile apps is less common than use of libraries and their websites. The survey found that just 8% of Millennials used a library app in the past 12 months, as did 9% of Gen Xers and 9% of Boomers.<\/p>\n\n

Beyond demonstrating generational differences in library use, the survey showed other demographic differences in library use. For instance:<\/p>\n\n