From Distant Admirers to Library Lovers -- and beyond

The focus of this report is the creation of a new typology of Americans’ public engagement with public libraries, which sheds light on broader issues around the relationship between technology, libraries, and information resources in the United States. This report describes nine groups of Americans that reflect different patterns of public library engagement, from high engagement to non-engagement groups. Respondents were sorted into groups based on analysis of factors such as: the importance of public libraries in their lives; how they use libraries; and how they view the role of libraries in communities. Among the broad themes and major findings:

• Public library users and proponents are not a niche group: 30% of Americans ages 16 and older are highly engaged with public libraries, and an additional 39% fall into medium engagement categories.
• Americans’ library habits do not exist in a vacuum: Americans’ connection -- or lack of connection -- with public libraries is part of their broader information and social landscape. As a rule, people who have extensive economic, social, technological, and cultural resources are also more likely to use and value libraries as part of those networks.
• Life stage and special circumstances are linked to increased library use and higher engagement with information: Deeper connections with public libraries are often associated with key life moments such as having a child, seeking a job, being a student, and going through a situation in which research and data can help inform a decision.

On the other hand, those who are less engaged with public libraries are often less engaged in their communities overall. Particularly for the low engagement groups, lower rates of library use and lack of familiarity with libraries seem to coincide with lower patterns of social and civic engagement in other areas of their lives. Members of low and non-engagement groups tend to be less comfortable navigating various types of information, such as finding material about government services and benefits.