Pew Report on Younger Americans and Public Libraries

[ElspethB]

An overview of a recent Pew report.

Some interesting findings here, including the fact that 88% of American adults under age 30 read at least one book in the past year versus 79% of those age 30 and older. Also, the use of e-books among young adults has increased.

[Sydney's Mom]

Thanks for posting this. What I found most interesting was that 43% read a book on a daily basis. There is some hope for the younger generation!

[pidgeon92]

"Libaries?"

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

What I found most interesting was that 43% read a book on a daily basis.

Even more interesting might have been the answer if the followup question was to name a book they have read in the past 24 hours, and tell me about something you read in the book.

Or maybe even better: If we interview your two or three closest friends, are they going to back you up on your reading a book on a daily basis? A No answer here wouldn't mean much, but a slow response to the question could reasonably be coded as prevarication.

[Sydney's Mom]

Don't you think maybe 43% read before bed? That is me--I may not pick up a book during the week, except to read before bed. I get through a book in about 3 days. But, I cannot remember the name of the book without looking at my kindle. That is why I put it in an already read folder, so I can update Calibre.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

Don't you think maybe 43% read before bed?

No, but I may be a bit more cynical than is healthy.

But, I cannot remember the name of the book without looking at my kindle.

How the pollster scored lying would be pretty controversial, for sure. Personally, I was impressed with this next book and would look for the signs of deception it describes, rather than the actual content:

Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception

The Amazon description, I should caution, is overblown. You can't tell that someone is lying using the techniques -- all you can say is that there are signs of deception. But in a poll, where everything is a matter of averaged probabilities, it might work well.

Also, if the interviewee named a book title that just doesn't exist, or was written by a different author, I think we would be safe in putting it down as probable prevarication.

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Also, if the interviewee named a book title that just doesn't exist, or was written by a different author, I think we would be safe in putting it down as probable prevarication.

Unless, like me, you have to be looking at the book to know either the title or the author.-)

[Froide]

Not surprised that school-age (K-12, university) people read daily.
Very surprised by the number of people, of all ages, who reported they NEVER read.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by ElspethB

An overview of a recent Pew report.

Some interesting findings here, including the fact that 88% of American adults under age 30 read at least one book in the past year versus 79% of those age 30 and older. Also, the use of e-books among young adults has increased.

I guess I must be in the minority 21% then as I read often and I am over 30 (I turn 44 in Dec). Not a bad minority group to be a part of though.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by crich70

I guess I must be in the minority 21% then as I read often and I am over 30 (I turn 44 in Dec). Not a bad minority group to be a part of though.

No, you're in the majority of 79% of 30+ Americans who read at least one book a year.

[Xanthe]

I have kidlets in my family who are in grade school (currently 1st & 4th) and since kindergarten they have "library" once a week. Their school has a library and they are allowed to take books home for the week, which they both do.

Their school also participates in the Scholastic Reading Club, meaning they get a monthly flyer of books that they can buy, and they love to get books that way. I remember my school having the same program back in the day, and that really encouraged my love of reading. Getting that stack of new books each month - heaven!

[Froide]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

I have kidlets in my family who are in grade school (currently 1st & 4th) and since kindergarten they have "library" once a week. Their school has a library and they are allowed to take books home for the week, which they both do.

Their school also participates in the Scholastic Reading Club, meaning they get a monthly flyer of books that they can buy, and they love to get books that way. I remember my school having the same program back in the day, and that really encouraged my love of reading. Getting that stack of new books each month - heaven!

I fondly remember ordering books from the monthly flyers and excitedly opening the packages of books, when they arrived. I also loved reading the Weekly Reader.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

I have kidlets in my family who are in grade school (currently 1st & 4th) and since kindergarten they have "library" once a week. Their school has a library and they are allowed to take books home for the week, which they both do.

Their school also participates in the Scholastic Reading Club, meaning they get a monthly flyer of books that they can buy, and they love to get books that way. I remember my school having the same program back in the day, and that really encouraged my love of reading. Getting that stack of new books each month - heaven!

I remember those flyers. I don't recall it being something we had access to once a month but at least once or twice a year I think we got one. And at least sometimes I was able to pick out a few books that I wanted. I still have my copy of "Hound of the Baskervilles" (somewhere) that I got that way.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Froide

Not surprised that school-age (K-12, university) people read daily.
Very surprised by the number of people, of all ages, who reported they NEVER read.

Keep in mind that they are talking about books. I know a number of people who read newspapers and magazines every day, but rarely read books (other than perhaps the Bible or some other religious work).

Up until fairly recently, it was unusual for people to have very many books available for reading. That's why many author's main source of income was from short stories, or serializations of books in magazines and newspapers. Most of what we would consider the classic works, i.e. works by Charles Dickens, Doyle, Verne all the way up through Hemingway, were stories that first appeared in newspapers or magazines. It's also why up until fairly recently, libraries were the biggest market for hard back books.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Keep in mind that they are talking about books. I know a number of people who read newspapers and magazines every day, but rarely read books (other than perhaps the Bible or some other religious work).

Up until fairly recently, it was unusual for people to have very many books available for reading. That's why many author's main source of income was from short stories, or serializations of books in magazines and newspapers. Most of what we would consider the classic works, i.e. works by Charles Dickens, Doyle, Verne all the way up through Hemingway, were stories that first appeared in newspapers or magazines. It's also why up until fairly recently, libraries were the biggest market for hard back books.

A good point. I still remember reading how Louis 14th had a large library. He had a whole 24 books in it. Of course books were hand copied back then and too expensive for many people. And even with Gutenberg's press I imagine literacy spread slowly at first.