Lee Rainie, director of internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center, discussed the Center’s latest research at the Public Library Association’s 2018 meeting. He noted that libraries are trusted and expected to help people get the information and services they want. He also argued there are new hopes (and demands) for libraries to help people navigate an information environment filled with “fake news” and “weaponized narratives.” He presented the Center’s latest findings about how librarians can distinguish between the “information engaged” and the “information wary” patrons.

1. The information needs of citizens
Lee Rainie
Director, Internet and Technology research
March 23, 2018
Public Library Association
@lrainie | @pewinternet | @pewresearch

2. ”[T]here has been a 60 percent decrease in the
number of people in this country who believe they
are the Lord incarnate,” said Pew senior research
statistician Marianne Tomac, adding that the largest
contributor to the drop was the dwindling number of
parents who raise their children in households in
which they are taught they are the Supreme Being.”

3. Facts are the atomic unit of truth
Facts drive outcomes for individuals and societies
Facts underlie justice
Facts are democratic
Facts are tied to trust
Trust is what binds people together to:
overcome uncertainty
overcome vulnerability
cement interdependence
achieve collective action

4. What people say they want/need
Smart allies (diversity really helps)
Improved curators
Proof of authenticity
Transparency
More confidence they can
learn and grow
Just-in-time help in
decision making
More training on tech use and
information literacy
Organizations that will help
and protect them

5. April 9, 2018 5www.pewresearch.org
The next library will be built around 5 new insights

6. 1. People seek personal enrichment
and entertainment in new ways
2. People seek knowledge and
reference expertise in new ways
3. Some groups especially need and
want access to technology through
trusted institutions
4. Learning is a social process

7. 5: Where they fit on these continuums
ALA’s “Confronting the Future”
Totally physical
(facilities and media)
Individual focus
Collection library
(physical and virtual)
Archive
Everything for everyone
Totally virtual
(facilities and media)
Community focus
Creation library
(social, maker space)
Portal
Specialized niche

8. People: Serve and Model
Pathfinders for trusted
information
Curators and arbiters of
trusted information
Tech AND data experts
Master teachers in age of
lifelong learning
Visionaries for the
knowledge economy and
the jobs it produces

9. Place: Reconfigure and repurpose
Embrace the Internet of
Things
Become the “first place” to
meet
Fill in “market holes” or
niches (ESL, pre-school
learning, small biz space,
veterans programs)
Innovation test beds

10. Platform: Community Resource 2.0
Trusted, top-of-mind
institution for
learning
Advocates for free and
open
Advocates for closing
digital divides
Privacy and algorithms
watchdog

11. What we’ve learned as we did our research
http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/libraries/

12. • People think libraries are important,
especially for communities
• People like and trust librarians
• People think libraries level of the
playing field for those without vast
resources
• People believe libraries have
rebranded themselves as tech hubs
• People still read books

13. Latest book reading stats
79%
74 76
72 73 74
71%
65
69
63 65 67
17%
23
28 27 28 26
11% 13 14 12 14
18
Read a print book
Read a book in any format
Listened to an audiobook
Read an e-book
2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018

14. 39%
7%
29%
24%
Read both print
and digital books
Non-book
reader
Read print
books only
Read digital
books only
The typical (median) American
adult read 4 books in the past 12
months
---
The average (mean) read 12
books
Still is an interesting,
counterintuitive Millennials story
Still is a socio-economic story

15. Library usage

16. Went to library / bookmobile in past 12 months
% of those ages 16+
53
48
44
48
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2012
2012 2013 2015 2016
Heavier users include parents of minors, women, those
under 60, those with college degrees +

17. Library activities

18. Assessments of libraries

19. People’s trust in various sources of information
3
14
17
18
18
24
39
40
31
54
48
54
43
58
44
38
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Info on social media
Info from financial institutions
Info from national news organizations
Info from local news organizations
Info from government sources
Info from family and friends
Info from health care providers
Information from local public library
a lot some

20. Do you think the library helps you
78 76
65
56
21 23
34
43
0
20
40
60
80
100
Find info that is
trustworthy
Learn new things Grow as a person Get info that helps you
with decisions
Yes No

21. Do you think your local public library provides you
with the resources you need, or not?
77
11 12
0
20
40
60
80
100
Yes No Don’t know
Especially true for
those under age
50 and doubly
true for Millennials

22. If your local public library CLOSED,
would that have a MAJOR impact,
MINOR impact or NO IMPACT on …
33
66
33
25
33
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Me / my family
My community
Major Impact Minor impact No impact

23. Information engagement/disengagement typology

24. • Gauge interest in topics like business, government,
health, science, sports, local community, foreign
affairs
• Explore “growth mindset” vs. “fixed mindset” (Carol
Dweck)
• Explore their strategies as they make major
decisions
• Measure their technology inventory
• Explore their library use
• How much they think it would help them if they: got
Poll and focus groups

25. Eager and willing = 22% of population
This group has highest levels of interest
in news and information and high
degree of trust in info sources.
More than any other group, they trust
their family and friends, plus libraries
and librarians, as info sources.

26. Eager and willing – 22% of population (2)
They do not have particular abundance in
digital information access tools and,
perhaps for that reason, more than half
report at least occasional difficulty
finding information online.
This group also expresses a high degree
of interest in training on digital skills and
on how to better understand the
trustworthiness of information.
They also wish that a public library were
closer to home and had expanded

27. Eager and willing – 22% of population
Demographics
Female dominated
Minority majority (31% Hispanic; 21%
black)
Relatively young
Least well educated

28. Information confident – 16% of population
This group reports the highest
levels of trust in information
sources, with particularly high
levels of trust in national news
organizations, government
sources, and health care
providers.
This translates into above-average
interest in news, with particular
emphasis on government and
politics and foreign affairs.

29. Information confident – 16% of population (2)
They have an abundance of
tech access tools, and they
do not feel they need
additional training in digital
skills or how to determine
the veracity of information
for making decisions.

30. Information confident – 16% of population
Demographics
Evenly split by gender
Tilts white
Tilts young
Tilts better educated

31. Cautious and curious – 13% of population
This group has interest in
information, but not a lot of
time or attention to pursue it.
Its members also have below-
average levels of trust in
information, but a high level
of interest in acquiring digital
skills and skills to better trust
information.

32. Cautious and curious – 13% of population
This group could become more
interested in pursuing
information. Clearing trust
hurdles is part of it. They
also need more time and
attention to do this.

33. Cautious and curious – 13% of population
Demographics
Looks like the
general
population

34. The Doubtful – 24% of population
This group has fairly typical
levels of interest in
information (just below
average) and visit the
library on par with others.
Yet they have low levels of
trust in info sources
(especially national / local
news organizations).

35. The Doubtful – 24% of population (2)
They are also much more
likely than average to say
they are often trying to do
two or more things at once
and less likely than others
to say it is easy for them to
relax.
Have little interest in
improving their information
literacy.

36. The Doubtful – 24% of population
Demographics
Tilts male
Tilts to better-off
households
Tilts suburban

37. Information wary – 25% of population
People with relatively low
levels of interest in
information.
Very low levels of trust in
information sources.
They do not exhibit much
interest in acquiring digital
skills or the wherewithal to
determine what information
is trustworthy.

38. Information wary – 25% of population
Demographics
Male dominated
Tilts older
Non-parents of minors

39. People think education matters more and they
want to be more attuned to learning

40. Learning as identity (% of those ages 18+)
57
61
73
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
I often find myself looking for new
opportunities to grow as a person
I like to gather as much information
as I can when I come across
something that I am not familiar…
I think of myself as a lifelong learner
Describes me very well

41. The motives of personal learners
% of those ages 18+
33
36
60
64
80
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Learn something to help with my
children's or other kids school work
Wanted to turn a hobby into extra
income
Extra time on my hands
Learn something that would allow
me to help others
Learn something make my life more
interesting

42. How are libraries performing
in this new environment?

43. How well, if at all, do your local public libraries serve the learning
and educational needs of your local community – not just
children at schools, but all those of any age who want to learn?
% of those ages 18+
37 39 6 4 12
0 20 40 60 80 100
Very well Pretty well Not too well Not well at all Don't know

44. How well, if at all, do your local public libraries serve the learning
and educational needs of you and your family? (% of those ages 18+)
34 36 9 12 8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Very well Pretty well Not too well Not well at all Don't know

45. Fear
not