Running Head: USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS
Using Technology to Attract Young Adults to the Public Library
Natalie Carlson
Professor Morris
INFO 650 – 900
August 29, 2010
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 2
Abstract
With technology becoming more and more prominent in today’s society, this paper seeks to
explore how public libraries are utilizing technology to reach out to and attract young adult
patrons, a user group that has been frequently overlooked in the past. A review of literature and
survey is provided to offer consideration as to how public libraries are currently expanding their
traditional services to appeal to teenagers. Possible future implications for public libraries are
also briefly discussed.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 3
Using Technology to Attract Young Adults to the Public Library
Introduction
Young adults are a library user group with unique needs (Gorman & Suellentrop, 2009).
According to Jason Reed (2008) the attention of the library is given to the youngest members of
the community and adults, but little attention is paid to the “middle age group” of young adults.
Reed states, “Young adults have traditionally been underserved customers at public libraries,”
(2008, p. 63). In his 2007 article, “Connecting Young Adults and Libraries in the 21st Century,”
Patrick Jones agrees, stating that public libraries often view teen services as special. Reed goes
further to state, “In general, teen collections and services are the last to be instituted and the first
to be cut” (2008, p. 64). According to a 1995 National Center for Education Statistics survey,
despite the fact that young adults make up approximately one quarter of public library patrons,
89% of public libraries do not have a young adult librarian. Sixteen of the 47 libraries surveyed
by Bishop and Bauer in 2002 had no specific areas for young adults or young adult materials
(Bishop & Bauer, 2002). Libraries have the potential to provide many teenagers with a solid
foundation for their lives, if they view serving teens as a priority. Thankfully, as we enter the
second decade of the 21st century, more public libraries are realizing the value in providing
young adult services (Gorman & Suellentrop, 2009). However, today’s teens are different than
in generations past. They are device-oriented, using technology from everything to locate
information to communicate with friends (Todd, 2008). This led me to the focus of my research.
This paper is devoted to answering the following question: How are public libraries utilizing
technology to attract and retain young adult patrons?
Literature Review
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 4
According to D’Elia, Abbas, and Bishop (2007), 30.5% of youth surveyed had not visited
their public library at all within the previous year. Youth who had and used Internet access at
home visited the library less frequently than those who did not have access at home. The public
library was the least frequently used source of Internet access, with only 5.4% of respondents
stating that they used the public library frequently for Internet access (D’Elia et al., 2007). “The
percentage of youth who had visited the public library were lower among male youth, youth with
an overall grade les than C, Hispanic youth, Black youth and youth of mixed racial ancestry,
youth whose parents’ highest level of educational attainment was high school graduate or less,
youth attending public schools, and urban youth” (D’Elia et al., 2007, p. 2195). D’Elia et al.
concluded that the use of the Internet seems to have diminished young adults’ need to use the
public library as a source of personal information (2007). Jason Reed (2008) agrees, stating that
since today’s teens have easy access to more information than ever before, it is natural for them
not to see a need in the library, at least in its traditional form. Todd (2008) found that college
students are using the library less, instead relying on search engines to conduct research;
furthermore, young adults report to be more satisfied with personal web searching than with
librarian-assisted searching. For this reason, public libraries need to offer services for teens that
will show them the value of the library as an institution beyond those of traditional information
research. The research indicates that most public libraries are doing this in two ways: through
the Web, and/or video games.
Research indicates that 90% of children ages 5-17 use computers, and 59% use the
Internet (Todd, 2008). In 2010, the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 93% of
teenagers between the ages of 12 to 17 go online (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). The
first step towards connecting young adult to the library can be as simple as developing a library
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 5
website for teens. Bishop and Bauer (2002) found that while librarians ranked their web page
eleventh in terms of effectiveness, teens ranked the library websites as the fifth most effective
tool. According to Hughes-Hassell and Miller (2003), even though young adults make up one
fourth of library users, only about 20% of public libraries have library websites designed to meet
the needs of teens. Seventeen million youth between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet for
entertainment and communication. Many award-winning websites that study participants visited
bored them because they were developed by adults using their own criteria as opposed to
conforming to the information preferences of teens (Hughes-Hassell & Miller, 2003). Library
web pages can act as important centers for reference, educational support, popular materials and
community information, as long as teens use them. Currently, there is a gap between what
teenagers value about the web and what libraries are providing (Hughes-Hassell & Miller, 2003).
“Teens want clean, easy-to-use sites that aren’t overloaded with text. Young adults ask for sites
they can use to interact with other teens and library staff, take quizzes, submit reviews, play
games, look up information, post messages and comments, get current information on library
programs, and more” (Bolan, Canada, & Cullin, 2007, p. 42). Interactivity is a definite plus in
the eyes of teenagers today. By offering online summer reading, the Prince William County
Library increased participation by 70%, and the number of reviews increased by 500% (Bolan et
al., 2007). And, not only do interactive components, such as chatting and instant messaging
attract teens, they also allow teens to “connect positively with peers and adults, to determine
their value systems, to be socially competent, to improve their self-image, and to learn a new
skill or topic” (Hughes-Hassell & Miller, 2003, p. 152).
Another way that libraries can attract and retain young adult patrons is through the
application of Web 2.0 principles. Web 2.0 is a platform where the user has control of the
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 6
information provided. Some of the elements that define Web 2.0 are the things that make it so
attractive to teens; these elements include featuring user-generated content, treating users as co-
developers, and offering customizable interfaces (Curran, Murray, & Christian, 2007).
According to Todd (2008), Web 2.0 is central to teens’ lives today, rivaling even television. The
most popular of the “children” of the Web 2.0 movement are the social networking sites. The
Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 73% of American teens now use social
networking sites. More than four in five teens aged 14-17 use social networking sites, and a little
more than half of teens aged 12-13 use social networking sites (Lenhart, et. al., 2010). Forty-
three percent of online teens use social networking sites daily, and 23% more use such sites
weekly (Mahoney & Laszczak, 2009). In 2010, Hardacre found that 47% of teens polled use
Facebook and 35% use MySpace. Why the popularity? According to Jones, the Web 2.0
movement is a reaction of youth watching to actively create and interact with their media, rather
than being passive consumers. Social networking provides youth the opportunity to participate
and contribute (Jones, 2002). Social networking is an important part of the socialization process
of today’s teens; libraries that want to reach teens cannot ignore it (Agnosto & Abbas, 2009).
Social networking websites offer teens a sense of ownership over the content of the web,
therefore, making them more passionate about the sites (Curran et al., 2007). Through social
networking, public libraries can reach more young adults where they are (Agnosto & Abbas,
2009). Social networking sites not afford libraries the opportunity to promote library events, but
they can also garner teen input or use them as reference portals (Agnosto & Abbas, 2009; Bolan
et al., 2007). When surveyed, teens stated that they would like their libraries to provide IM and
Facebook reference services (Hardacre, 2010).
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 7
Another way that public libraries are reaching out to young adults is through video
games. Do video games have a place in the library? Absolutely! As a whole, the gaming
generation currently represents ninety million people (Levine, 2006a). According to the Pew
Internet and American Life Project, 97% of teens ages 12-17 play video games. And, it’s not
just boys. Ninety-nine percent of boys play video games as well as 94% of girls (Lenhart,
Kahne, Middaugh, Macgill, Evans & Vitak, 2008). The Pew Internet and American Life Project
also found that 31% of teens game every day (Lenhart et al., 2008). Mahoney and Lasczak
(2009) found that 60% of the teenagers they polled played video games every day.
Despite what people may think, video games are not just a waste of time. Playing video
games is often a social experience for teens, playing with their off-line friends or gamers they
meet on-line (Lenhart et al., 2008). Much like DVDs and music, video games have become a
legitimate format for many library users, young and old alike (Levine, 2006b). The benefits of
video games reach beyond simply socialization. According to Eli Neiburger (2007) literacy can
be defined as the ability to decode meaning from symbols, and when playing a new video game,
players must rapidly decode and decipher the unique symbols of the game. Video games also
encourage text literacy to succeed whether it is through reading text on a screen or researching
manuals and “cheats” to beat the game. Furthermore, Neiburger claims that gaming helps to
develop spatial reasoning and interface literacy (Neiburger, 2007).
Literacy is growing problem among today’s young adults. While by the 1980s, nearly all
of American young adults were considered literate, fluency among young adults remains a
serious issue. Studies show that young adults have great difficulty applying information to more
complex tasks (Gordon & Gordon, 2003). As of 1994, the U.S. Departments of Education and
Labor found that while 80% of all jobs in the high-tech workplace require fluency of at least 12th
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 8
grade in reading, math, comprehension, and application skills, about 48% of adults fail to meet
this criterion (Gordon & Gordon, 2003). In order to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce, young
adults need to be not just literate, but information literate: able to recognize when information is
needed and have the ability to find, evaluate, and use the needed information effectively
(Eisenberg, Lowe, & Spitzer, 2004). According to Squire and Steinkuehler (2005), “Game
cultures promote various types of information literacy, develop information seeking habits, and
production practices (like writing), and require good, old-fashioned research skills, albeit using a
wide spectrum of content” (p. 38). Playing video games help young adults to create their own
identity, use their imaginations, collaborate with others, understand different cultures, and
develop a sense of design principles that they can then connect to other text and media (Sanford,
2008). Video games are interactive and mentally stimulated; most importantly, video games are
a great way to entice young adults into the library. Once teenagers are in the library, they can
see all of the other programs and services the library has to offer them. According to Reed
(2008), 20-30% of teens involved in video game tournaments had never been to the library.
Once teens were involved with library gaming, they became more involved with other library
programs. Take the Carver Bay Library as an example; when their gaming program first began
in May of 2006, 40 out of 550 high school students joined the club. Within one month, the club
consisted of 60 members with 20 of them regularly checking out books (Reed, 2008). When the
Central Mississippi Regional Library System began a gaming program, 100% of people surveyed
stated that they would “very likely” visit the library in the future, and almost 50% stated that they
had checked out additional materials. Within a year, the CMRLS had issued 8,952 new library
cards to their targeted audience of boys ages 10-17 (Vance, 2009). According to Squire and
Steinkuehler (2005), gaming brands the library as a technically advanced community site while
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 9
offering librarians insight into youth culture; bringing video games into the library raises interest
among young adult users and establishes relationships between the library and young adults
(Squire & Steinkuehler).
Survey Results
The Mahwah Public Library is located within suburban Northeastern New Jersey, about
forty minutes outside of New York City. The Mahwah Public Library serves the approximate
24,000 residents of Mahwah Township, as well as any members of the 73 neighboring
communities that are a part of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System. As of 2008,
approximately 3,000 residents of Mahwah could be classified as young adults between the ages
of 10-19 (“Mahwah Township,” 2008).
The mission statement of the Mahwah Public Library states, “The Mahwah Public
Library is a public institution whose purpose is the free exchange of ideas and information. The
Library will endeavor to provide materials and media for the interest, enlightenment and
entertainment of its patrons. The Library respects the rights of all who may wish to avail
themselves of its many offerings, that are made available to all on an equal basis as provided by
Library Board Policy” (“Mahwah Public Library,” n.d.).
Since my research was focused on the user group of young adults, I asked the Maureen*
(pseudonym), the Young Adult Librarian, to complete my survey. When speaking with
Maureen, one quickly learns that the Mahwah Public Library is a library that values technology.
It offers a variety of technological services to staff and patrons, including blogs, social
networking, online image sharing and YouTube (see Survey in Appendix). While advances in
new technologies are often hindered by lack of funds or insufficient time or professional
development, Maureen does her best to use the technology that she does have available to reach
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 10
out to her teen audience. For example, Maureen has set up a Facebook account and year-round
blog for teens to check out and contribute to (see Survey in Appendix). While she does not have
a specific young adult collection of video games, last September she did implement a “Gaming
Club” using her own console and games. Space and funds are limited, but with a new director in
place, she hopes that she will be able to expand on her young adult services. She has already
purchased DVDs for an “Anime Club” that she started and has just recently began receiving
funds to collect young adult audio books (see Survey in Appendix).
In terms of future trends for public libraries, Maureen believes that libraries will become
more and more technologically advanced, a challenge that she looks forward to. She also states
that teen services are becoming more noticeable. While she admits that technology will change
libraries, Maureen believes that libraries will be able to keep up with the advances and still
remain important to patrons (see Survey in Appendix).
Maureen’s survey responses, particularly pertaining to teen services, seem to strengthen
the research findings stating that today’s public libraries are using technology, particularly in the
form of social networking and video games, to attract young adult patrons and keep them coming
back for more. Luckily, Maureen is dedicated to the task of reaching young adult patrons, and
she has a director who also realizes the value in building a relationship among this group of
users.
Conclusion
According to Jean Costello (2009), “America desperately needs an institution dedicated
solely to the public good, that serves all of its citizens equitably, promotes genuine community,
and fosters a healthy, integrated sense of recreation and self-improvement” (“The Right
Change,” para. 1). Public libraries are in a position to be that institution, but in order to fulfill
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 11
that potential, libraries cannot afford to overlook their young adult patrons. Young adults today
are different. According to Mark Herring (2008) they are at risk of becoming “poorly educated”
and “rapidly growing allergic to text-based materials” (p. 47, 48). So, why should we care?
Young adults are the future, both of society and of the public library (Hughes-Hassell & Miller,
2003). Libraries must build a relationship with young adults in order to support their healthy
development and to ensure the future of the public library (Hughes-Hassell & Miller, 2003;
Jones, 2007). With budgets already in jeopardy, how can we expect to survive in years to come
if a whole generation does not value what we offer? Attracting young adults is more than just
stocking the shelves with popular titles or buying comfortable chairs; the library has to alter its
services to reach out to the teens who view the library as that musty institution where you have to
be quiet. Many public libraries are accomplishing this through the use of the web and video
games. When they incorporate these elements, public libraries are not “dumbing” down their
services. Research indicates that social networking encourages healthy social development and
gaming supports the development of critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and
information literacy (Agosto & Abbas, 2009; Sanford, 2008; Squire & Steinkuehler, 2005).
Libraries are institutions run for the people, funded by the people. Where will libraries be when
today’s young adults, who see no value in the library, are in the position to defeat our budgets?
My vision of the future of public libraries is bright. I believe that libraries will continue
to move forward embracing new technologies and incorporating such technology into their
programs and services. I believe that, in the future, more libraries will follow the lead of the
Mahwah Public Library and use technology to reach out to teens in an effort to show them the
value of the public library. While the services and materials might change, books and journals
may be replaced by e-resources and BluRay may replace DVDs, I believe that the public library,
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 12
as an institution, will always remain a community center for knowledge, entertainment, and
socialization for people of all ages, races, and walks of life. One of the greatest things about the
public library is that it has something to offer everyone. In the case of teens, we may just have to
do a little more to show them what we have to offer, but once they see the value, they will
become lifelong learners and lifelong supporters.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 13
References
Agosto, D. E., & Abbas, J. (2009). Teens and social networking: How public libraries are
responding to the latest online trend. Public Libraries, 48(3), 32-37.
Bishop, K., & Bauer, P. (2002). Attracting young adults to public libraries. Journal of Youth
Services in Libraries, 15(2), 36-44.
Bolan, K., Canada, M., & Cullin, R. (2007). Web, library, and teen services 2.0. Young Adult
Library Services, 5(2), 40-43.
Costello, J. (2009). An inflection point for American public libraries. In the Library with the
Lead Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org
Curran, K., Murray, M., & Christian, M. (2007). Taking the information to the public through
Library 2.0. Library Hi Tech, 25(2), 288-297.
D’Elia, G., Abbas, J., & Bishop, K. (2007). The impact of youth’s use of the Internet on their
use of the public library. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and
Technology, 58(14), 2180-2196.
Eisenberg, M. B., Lowe, C. A., & Spitzer, K. L. (2004). Defining information literacy. In
Information literacy: Essential skills for the Information Age (2nd ed.). (pp. 3-11).
Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Gordon, E. E., & Gordon, E. H. (2003). Literacy: A historical perspective. Principal
Leadership, 47, 16-21.
Gorman, M., & Suellentrop, T. (2009). Technology. In Connecting young adults and libraries
(4th ed.). (pp. 287-307).
Hardacre, M. (2010). Teens talk tech. Young Adult Library Services, 8(2), 29-30.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 14
Herring, M. Y. (2008). Fool’s gold: Why the Internet is no substitute for a library. Journal of
Library Administration, 47(1/2), 29-53.
Hughes-Hassell, S., & Miller, E. T. (2003). Public library websites for young adults: Meeting
the needs of today’s teens online. Library and Information Science Research, 25, 143-
156.
Jones, P. (2007). Connecting young adults and libraries in the 21st century. Aplis, 20(2), 48-54.
Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens,
video games, and civics. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org
Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media and mobile Internet use
among teens and young adults. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org
Levine, J. (2006a). The gaming generation. Library Technology Reports, 42(5), 18-23.
Levine, J. (2006b). Why gaming? Library Technology Reports, 42(5), 10-17.
Mahoney, K., & Laszczak, K. (2009). Teen Tech Week survey results. Young Adult Library
Services, 7(2), 10-12.
Mahwah Public Library. (n.d.) Retrieved August 9, 2010 from http://tiny.cc/pjhs2
Mahwah township, Bergen County, New Jersey. (2008). Retrieved July 13, 2010 from
http://tiny.cc/ua6f7
Neiburger, E. (2007). Games…in the library? School Library Journal, 53(7), 28-29.
Reed, J. (2008). Young adults, video games, and libraries. Bookmobile Outreach, 11(1), 63-78.
Sanford, K. (2008). Videogames in the library? What is the world coming to? School Libraries
Worldwide, 14(2), 83-88.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 15
Squire, K., & Steinkuehler, C. (2005). Meet the gamers. Library Journal, 130(7), 38-41.
Todd, R. J. (2008). Youth and their virtual worlds: Research findings and implications for
school libraries. School Libraries Worldwide, 14(2), 19-34.
Vance, D. M. (2009). Playing games for fun and learning @ your library. Mississippi Libraries,
73(1), 11-13.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 16
Appendix
Public Library Services Survey
Thank you for agreeing to take this survey about the future of public library services and
about new technologies for library services. It should take you roughly 15-20 minutes to
complete.
General Library Information
1. In what state (or country if outside of the U.S.) is your library located? (type in the box below)
New Jersey
2. How many people reside in your service population?
Less than 1,000
1,000-2,499
2,500-4,999
5,000-9,999
10,000-24,999
X 25,000-49,999
50,000-99,999
100,000-249,999
250,000-499,999
500,000+
Not sure/Don’t know
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 17
Technology Training & Needs
3. Does your library use any of the following technologies:
Yes,
Yes, internally No, Not sure/
externally for
for staff not at all don’t know
patrons
Library website X X
Blog(s) X X
Wiki(s) X
Social networking (e.g. Facebook, X X
Online image sharing (e.g. Flickr) X
MySpace)
RSS feeds X
Social bookmarking (e.g. Delicious, X
Podcasts X
Furl)
YouTube X
LibraryThing X
Other (please specify):
Error! Not a valid
Other (please specify):
Error! self-
bookmark Not a valid
Other (please specify):
reference.Error! Not a valid
bookmark Not a valid
Error! self-
bookmark self-reference.
reference.Error! Not a valid
bookmark self-
4. What technologies do you feel are most critical to meeting your patrons’ needs online (including,
bookmark self-reference.
reference.Error! Not a valid
but not limited to, those listed above)?
bookmark self-reference.
We rely on scholarly databases such as JerseyCat, Reference USA, and databases provided
within our whole library system which provide information in the form of magazine, newspaper
and journal articles.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 18
5. Are there barriers that prevent you from implementing new technologies in your library, such as
insufficient staff time, limited funds, or a lack of professional development opportunities for staff?
X Yes
No
Not sure
If yes, please explain.
Mainly limited funds, however all of the above reasons apply to some degree.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 19
The Future of Public Libraries
6. Over the past few years, have online library services, such as chat reference and online renewals,
affected the services that you provide within the library building? If so, how?
We don’t provide online chat reference. We do offer online renewal services, and our
patrons seem quite happy with it.
7. Has the recent increase in the kinds and amount of information that is available online affected your
work over the past few years? If so, how?
Yes. I’ve had to become more aware of newer databases and software programs, and also
with keeping up with updates and installations more often on my section’s computers.
8. Does your library provide any services via online social networking tools, such as Facebook,
MySpace, or YouTube? If so, please describe these services.
Yes, Facebook. I have created a Facebook “fan box” on my Teen Blog and use this social
networking tool to keep the teens informed of upcoming events, etc., I let them comment
on the page as well. The Teen Blog is the only area where this application is used in our
library however.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 20
9. How do you think your job is likely to change over the next five years?
I believe that I will be expected to keep up with the changing technological times as well,
and become more knowledgeable with the various databases, social networking sites, and
software programs that are becoming available each day. This is a task that I am more than
willing to tackle however.
10. How do you think your library’s collection is likely to change over the next five years?
I believe that we may begin to include BluRay DVDs and digital readers, and/or “playaways”
that patrons can borrow. But it is my hope that our book budgets do not decrease to
incorporate these new products.
11. How do you think your library’s public services are likely to change over the next five years?
We are in the process of adding an addition to our library, so for one thing we will be able to
provide even more programming for our patrons. Because we will be including more
“study” rooms in the new design as well, we will be better able to offer space to the many
tutors who utilize our library. Our new Director has stated that he would like to see more
computers, and more databases become available to our patrons as well.
12. What do you see as the likely future trends for public library services in general?
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 21
Libraries will and are becoming more technologically advanced for one thing and also many
libraries are becoming more user friendly by providing a café or bookstore atmosphere as
well. Teen services are becoming more noticeable as well.
13. What do you see as the major roles of the public library in today’s society?
Since the economy has changed drastically in the last few years, we do have a lot of people
coming in to use our resources to help them find employment for example. Also, many
libraries have experienced an increase in circulation, and program attendance since many
patrons are having “staycations” nowadays. Our library has experienced an increase in
these services as well.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 22
14. How, if at all, do you think these roles of the public library might change in the future?
I believe that libraries will need to become more technologically advanced to keep up with
the changing times, but libraries will still be important to the patrons.
Demographics
15. What are your areas of specialization? (Check all that apply.)
X Reference services (e.g., information assistance, readers’ advisory, etc.)
X Technical services (e.g., cataloging, acquisitions, etc.)
X Systems, database or network management (e.g., website maintenance, IT support, etc.)
Library administration
X Children’s or young adult services
Other (please specify): Error! Not a valid bookmark self-reference.Error! Not a valid
bookmark self-reference.
16. How long have you been a librarian in a professional-level position?
Less than a year
1-3 years
4-9 years
X 10-20 years
More than 20 years
17. What is your highest educational degree?
Bachelor’s degree
X Master’s degree
Doctorate
Other (please specify): Error! Not a valid bookmark self-reference.Error! Not a valid
bookmark self-reference.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 23
18. Age:
25 and under
26-34
X 35-44
45-54
55-64
65 and over
19. Are you:
Male
X Female
THANK YOU!
Follow-up Questions
How is your library using technology to reach out to and attract young adult patrons?
Actually, we have a new Director who is really interested in reaching out to teens
and other patrons as well and seems to want to use as many technological means as
possible. He just started last month, so we haven't had too many changes yet, but
one thing we've talked about is the possibility of stationing more laptops in my
Teen Section. Hopefully we will have better equipment with the most up-to-date
software as well so we can accommodate even more teens.
Right now, what I've been doing for a while is to use blogging and Facebook as a
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 24
means to inform my teens of new items added to the collection, upcoming programs,
etc.,. For the last two summers, I created a special blog for the teens to use as
part of their summer reading club challenges. It was very popular, so I decided to
create a blog which I specifically use during the school year. Now a lot of the
teens know to look at the blog to keep up-to-date. About 6 months or so ago, I
added the Facebook box and our list of fans has really grown. I really like this
feature because a lot of teens log in everyday and I can keep them updated.
That's about it for now, but again with our new Director, I believe we're going to
be moving ahead very soon.
Do you use video games in the library to attract young adults, either through circulation or
hosting gaming events?
I can't believe I forgot to mention that. Duh on my part. I think the Children's
Department might now have a small collection of games that they circulate. I'm
hoping in the future that I might be able to start a circulating video game
collection as well. I've only recently been given a small budget to buy audio books
for teens, but I'm hoping to build a decent collection. I also buy DVDs for an
"Anime Club" that I started four years ago, and I'm hoping to keep building upon
that collection as well.
I started a "Gaming Club" last September which runs every other Thursday. I had
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT YOUNG ADULTS 25
been bringing in my own "Wii" system, but I was able to pick one up for the library
when it was on sale. Because of lack of a proper place to store it however, I bring
it back and forth to the library from my home. I also use my games or allow the
teens to bring in some of their games as well. I'm hoping that this way of doing
things will change soon however.
One more thing. Right now I don't really have a budget or the space to buy CDs that
would be shelved in a dedicated teen space. I will be getting some shelving
however, so I'm hopeful that if I can budget things properly, that I might be able
to start a teen CD collection as well.