Lee Rainie, director of Internet, Science and Technology research at the Pew Research Center, discussed his group’s latest findings about the role of libraries and librarians on April 3 at Innovative Users Group conference. The latest work shows that many people struggle to find the most trustworthy information and they express a clear hope that librarians can help them. He explored recent research about how people are becoming “lifelong learners” and that library services are an element of how they hope to stay relevant in their jobs, as well as find ways to enrich their lives. He drew on Pew Research Center studies about the information and media sources people use and how they decide what to trust.

1. The secret mission that people
yearn to have libraries address
Lee Rainie - @lrainie
Director Internet, Science, and Technology Research

3. 3
“Tweckle (twek’ul) vt. To
abuse a speaker to Twitter
followers in the audience
while he/she is speaking.”

4. 4
we need a tshirt, "I survived the keynote disaster
of 09"
it's awesome in the "I don't want to turn away
from the accident because I might see a severed
head" way
too bad they took my utensils away w/ my plate.
I could have jammed the butter knife into my
temple

5. Information revolutions are like avalanches

6. Elizabeth Eisenstein
Folklore
Witchcraft
Alchemy

7. Today
Trolls
Fake news
Weaponized information

8. What is true?
Who can you trust?

10. What we already know about libraries:
Our previous findings at pewinternet.org (under
topic heading “libraries”)

11. • 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

12. What’s happened to trust?

13. 13
How important?
63 28
Library to community

14. Networked Individualism
The move to looser, far-flung networks

15. Assessments of libraries

16. 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

17. 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

18. Do you think the library helps you
49
43
38
27
50
56 60
68
0
20
40
60
80
100
Focus on things that
matter in your life
Cope with a busy
world
Cope with a world
where it is hard to get
ahead
Protect your personal
data from online
thieves
Yes No

19. 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

20. How much, if at all, do you think your local public library
contributes to the following things in your community?
29
38
47
49
58
69
36
35
32
31
29
20
16
14
9
10
5
3
8
6
4
3
3
3
10
7
8
7
5
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Serving as a gathering place for addressing
challenges in your local community
Promoting a sense of community among
different groups within your local area
Providing a trusted place for people to learn
about new technologies
Helping spark creativity among young people
Creating educational opportunity for people
of all ages
Providing a safe place for people to spend
time
A lot Some Not too much Nothing at all Don't know

21. 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

22. People’s orientation to
information

23. • 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
New research – poll and focus groups

24. Factors that shape people’s information interests
• Access to and use of libraries
• Personal tastes
• Trust in information sources – the higher the level of
trust, the more likely people are to feel drawn to
information acquisition
• Personal growth mindset, particularly when it comes to
keeping current on digital skills and information literacy
• Life circumstances and time horizons – whether people
have the time for pursuing information or whether they
feel stressed about information burdens they may
experience

25. Information wary ~ quarter 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.

26. Information wary ~ quarter of population
Demographics
Male dominated
Tilts older
Non-parents of minors

27. Information addled ~ quarter 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).

28. Information addled ~ quarter 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.

29. Information addled ~ quarter of population
Demographics
Tilts male
Tilts to better off HH
Tilts suburban

30. Cautious and curious ~ 1 in 8
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.

31. Cautious and curious ~ 1 in 8 ---- (2)
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.

32. Cautious and curious ~ 1 in 8
Demographics
Looks like the
general
population

33. Eager and willing ~ fifth 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.

34. Eager and willing ~ fifth 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

35. Eager and willing ~ fifth of population
Demographics
Female dominated
Minority majority
Relatively young
Least well educated

36. Information confident ~ 1 in 6
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.

37. Information confident ~ 1 in 6 ---- (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.

38. Information confident ~ 1 in 6
Demographics
Evenly split by gender
Tilts white
Tilts young
Tilts better educated

39. This really registers now because 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

43. People: Serve and Learn
Pathfinders for trusted
information
Curators and arbiters of
trusted information
Tech AND data experts
Master teachers in age of
lifelong learning and
personal growth
Advocates for skepticism
and info literacy

44. Place: Reconfigured and
Repurposed
Embrace the Internet of
Things
Become the “first place” to
meet
Fill in “market holes” or
niches (ESL, pre-school
learning, small biz info)
Innovation test beds –
maker masters

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

46. Fear
not