Although the study is preliminary, it does provoke some interesting
questions. The important observation in the report is that people who
use the Internet frequently are more likely to use libraries than
people who do not use the Internet often. People who don't look for
information on the Internet usually don't look for in it in libraries either.
To me, this challenges the common assumption that libraries are
engaged in a zero sum competition with Google and other Internet
companies -- i.e. the assumption that people will stop using
libraries if they decide that Google or Wikipedia does a better job
of meeting their information needs.
Actually, what may be happening is that resources like Google or
Wikipedia create a "taste" for information that makes people more
likely to go to libraries when that "taste" is not fully satisfied by
stuff that they can get for free on the Internet. Libraries always
have served relatively independent information seekers who have
confidence in their ability to find and interpret information for
themselves, but this has always been a small percentage of the
general population. So, even if libraries previously had a "monopoly"
on serving independent, self-confident information seekers, they had
a monopoly on a small minority of the population.
Perhaps, by making it so much easier for people to start their
information searches, Google actually makes more people confident in
their ability to find and interpret information for themselves and
thereby increases the population of people who appreciate the kind on
information services provided by libraries. In my opinion, libraries
often compliment Google (rather than compete with it) because they
are collectively subsidized and provide users free access (online or
in print) to information that they would have to pay for on the
general Internet.
Sincerely,
John Wenzler
At 09:44 AM 1/7/2008, you wrote:
>As they say in Slashdot, RTFA -- the real content of the article is less
>positive in terms of how libraries come out (although quite positive in
>some areas). This is an interesting case of interpreting the numbers.
>The overview says:
>
>In a national phone survey, respondents were asked whether they had
>encountered 10 possible problems in the previous two years, all of which
>had a potential connection to the government or government-provided
>information. Those who had dealt with the problems were asked where they
>went for help and the internet topped the list:
>
># 58% of those who had recently experienced one of those problems said
>they used the internet (at home, work, a public library or some other
>place) to get help.
># 53% said they turned to professionals such as doctors, lawyers or
>financial experts.
># 45% said they sought out friends and family members for advice and help.
># 36% said they consulted newspapers and magazines.
># 34% said they directly contacted a government office or agency.
># 16% said they consulted television and radio.
># 13% said they went to the public library.
>
>The survey results challenge the assumption that libraries are losing
>relevance in the internet age. Libraries drew visits by more than half
>of Americans (53%) in the past year for all kinds of purposes, not just
>the problems mentioned in this survey.
>
>***
>So, 13% who were seeking information that might relate to government
>provided information went to the public library (compared to 58% who
>used the Internet). (The title here is "Information Searches that Solve
>Problems.") I'm not exactly sure how this challenges "the assumption
>that libraries are losing relevance in the internet age." That's quite a
>point spread.
>
>And note that in the text (p. vi) it says that many of those (65%) went
>to the public library to use the computers (which I read to mean
>Internet access) there.
>
>The statement that 53% of all Americans used a public library in the
>past year doesn't tell us what people use the public library for. It's
>rather odd the way that figure is included in this report, because it
>doesn't really address the question of the report. There's a chapter on
>"who uses public libraries" but it's just users by age and income,
>nothing about kinds of uses.
>
>Very odd, I'd say, and I'm not sure their conclusions are borne out by
>their data.
>
>kc
>
>Brenndorfer, Thomas wrote:
>>Perhaps adding some perspective to the issue of library-related
>>resources and finding aids vs. new Internet resources and tools is the
>>latest PEW study
>>
>>
>>
>>http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp
>>
>>
>>
>>which shows that Internet-savvy Generation Y users (age 18-30) are the
>>largest group of library users-a finding that challenges the assumption
>>that libraries are losing relevance in the Internet age.
>>
>>
>>
>>As for thinking about the role of libraries (and archives), the
>>following article about Canadian archives and the concern about the
>>"lost decades" of electronic information shows that we need to keep in
>>mind that finding aids are only useful in so far that the resources they
>>point to are collected, processed, stored, organized, and made
>>accessible-the age-old task of libraries and archives that one might
>>think would be alleviated with advanced technology, but perhaps with
>>every advance there are new problems.
>>
>>
>>
>>http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=758def11-7336-4
>>fa8-9acf-61afd87adfbd&k=28075
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Thomas Brenndorfer, B.A, M.L.I.S.
>>
>>Guelph Public Library
>>
>>100 Norfolk St.
>>
>>Guelph, ON
>>
>>N1H 4J6
>>
>>(519) 824-6220 ext. 276
>>
>>tbrenndorfer_at_library.guelph.on.ca
>>
>>
>>
>
>--
>-----------------------------------
>Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
>kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
>ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
>fx.: 510-848-3913
>mo.: 510-435-8234
>------------------------------------
*******************************************************************************************************************
John Wenzler
Electronic Resources Coordinator
J. Paul Leonard Library
San Francisco State University Library
Phone: (415) 405-0694
Fax: (415) 338-6940
http://www.library.sfsu.edu
********************************************************************************************************************
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that
counts can be counted."
-- Albert Einstein
Received on Mon Jan 07 2008 - 14:43:28 EST