Trends in library usage
[1] However, as libraries modernise, they face an increasingly harsh budget environment, as well as technological disruption in media, scholarship, and education.
[14][15] A study conducted in 2014 revealed that number of visits to public libraries had dropped by approximately 12% since 2009, demonstrating the effects of this decline.
[16] Library functions, services, and usage are changing so rapidly that it is difficult to establish standards or measures of value.
The scope of expert advancement open doors for bookkeepers to teach themselves in great information rehearses expanded all through 2015 and will keep on developing in 2016, essentially because of two activities.
Gregg Dodd, Director of Marketing at Columbus Metropolitan Library, clarifies the estimation of a computerized procedure obviously, saying, "Our clients live in an advanced world, so this is an imperative space to interface with them.
[26] The University of Minnesota recently published results of a major study on the impact of library use on student success.
[33] Many campus libraries have remodeled their physical facilities in order to attract students, adding computers, cafes, classrooms, outlets, and study areas.
[37] Copyright issues and technological limitations imposed by digital rights management are the strongest barriers to this transformation.
[33] With changes on the horizon, the organizations that monitor academic library statistics are seeking new ways to assess value and impact.
[38] The Association of Research Libraries will no longer use monograph and serial costs as a metric, since "new data will be collected to more accurately reflect the modern environment of information management.
"[39] In a study done with 27 colleges and universities participating, it is revealed that a majority of students, specifically 73 percent, use the library less than the Internet.
[40] In a study conducted by the article's, "Millennials and technology: putting suppositions to the test in an academic library," authors, Pascal Lupien and Randy Oldham, reveal that "our students do use the library in large numbers, and that they appear to understand that they must use a variety of resources, including academic sources, to conduct research.
"[14] Recent growth in public library usage is likely driven by the Great Recession, as patrons take advantage of affordable entertainment, internet access, job search assistance, and educational resources.
[47] Library Journal noted a small but marked decrease in print circulation in 2012, and suggested that changing information behavior, an improving economy, budget cuts or some combination of these factors have begun to affect book borrowing.
[55] Libraries across the United States now lend musical instruments, tools, seeds, science equipment and information technology, like gaming consoles, laptops and e-readers.
[56][57] While media outlets describe this development as part of a struggle to say relevant in a digital age, librarians say it is an extension of the traditional services and programming public libraries offer their communities.
[58][irrelevant citation] In an interview with The Atlantic Wire about the trend, librarian and blogger Rita Meade said, "I think it's great that some libraries are able to lend out items other than books, because it shows that they are responding to the needs of their particular community.
"[59] While patrons still value access to printed books, libraries' shift to offering a wide range of digital, educational, social and entrepreneurial tools appears to be permanent.
[65] In partnership with the University of Arizona, the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, AZ is now offering a co-working space and business incubator.
[66] The rise of entrepreneurial and content creation spaces may offer alternative funding models for some public libraries.
[68] The Denver Library is also making an effort to appear more appealing to its patrons by creating a more business like approach towards their marketing.
[12][70] As cities and states confront budget shortfalls, libraries are often required to reduce hours, staff and locations.
[47] When explaining the rationale for budget cuts, officials often cite the rise of new technologies and the availability of alternative sources of information.
[76] A study by School Library Journal, using statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) showed that, "students in states that lost librarians tended to have lower reading scores—or had a slower rise on standardized tests—than those in states that gained librarians," and this effect couldn't be accounted for by overall staff reductions.
According to Sue Skinner, Benilde-St. Margaret's principal, the school's commitment to ensuring all students receive their own computer made the change possible.
