Gen Y the biggest users of libraries

I first saw this mentioned in the news last week: a survey by Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that the biggest subgroup of Americans who used public libraries last year is Gen Y (aged 18-30.)

Many commentators seem surprised by this, as it's apparently a reversal of a study done in 1996 which showed declining use of libraries by that age group. But apparently, the more information-savvy you are, the more likely you are to head to a library -- Internet users are more likely to use libraries than non-Internet users. And while it's true that many of those users report using the Internet while at the library, it's not the only reason they're going -- they're also making use of library resources.

I find this fascinating, particularly in light of those who've seemed to assume that the Internet (all that 'freely' available info) would eventually be the death of libraries. It's also interesting, I think, given the conversations we've had about how young people view libraries and the acquiring of information.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/12/31/internet.libraries.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140922-pg,1/article.html