Report Public Library usage

A new report that dispels some myths that have lingered regarding the target service population for public access computers in U.S. public libraries. It also provides a demographic analysis of public access computer users and uses and demonstrates that public libraries are providing much more than basic technology access. The report examines trends in library computer use according to demographic characteristics. Eight major categories of activities were examined: social connections/communications, education, employment, health and wellness, government and legal, community engagement, managing finances, and entrepreneurship.
2011, Institute of Museum and Library Service, http://www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2011_04.pdf

Learning in the 21st Century: 2011 Trends Update

Among its findings, the "Learning in the 21st Century: 2011 Trends Update" reports that two in five students believe online classes are an essential component to education, and that administrators' concerns about funding online courses are (slowly) fading, while concerns about evaluating quality of online courses is rising. But while the proportion of high school students who had taken an online course as of last fall tripled from the fall of 2008, from 10 to 30 percent, only about 26 percent teachers surveyed expressed interest in diving into online teaching if they hadn't already done so. The findings come from a survey of nearly 400,000 students, educators, and parents conducted last fall.
2011, Education Week, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2011/06/students_speak_up_for_online_l.html

E-readership doubles in six months

The share of adults in the United States who own an e-book reader doubled to 12% in May, 2011 from 6% in November 2010. E-readers, such as a Kindle or Nook, are portable devices designed to allow readers to download and read books and periodicals. This is the first time since the Pew Internet Project began measuring e-reader use in April 2009 that ownership of this device has reached double digits among U.S. adults.

Tablet computers—portable devices similar to e-readers but designed for more interactive web functions—have not seen the same level of growth in recent months. In May 2011, 8% of adults report owning a tablet computer such as an iPad, Samsung Galaxy or Motorola Xoom. This is roughly the same percentage of adults who reported owning this kind of device in January 2011 (7%), and represents just a 3 percentage-point increase in ownership since November 2010. Prior to that, tablet ownership had been climbing relatively quickly.

2011, Pew Internet Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_eReader_Tablet.pdf

Youth media habits report

This report takes a fresh look at data emerging from studies undertaken by Sesame Workshop, independent scholars, foundations, and market researchers on the media habits of young children, who are often overlooked in the public discourse that focuses on tweens and teens. The report reviews seven recent studies about young children and their ownership and use of media. By focusing on very young children and analyzing multiple studies over time, the report arrives at a new, balanced portrait of children’s media habits.
2011, Sesame Workshop and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center,
http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/upload_kits/jgcc_alwaysconnected.pdf

Public library funding and tech access survey

New report: Technology demands are up, budgets are down
A pervasive “new normal” of increased demand for library technology resources, paired with decreased funding at state and local levels, is affecting service to millions of Americans, according to a report released June 21 by the Office for Research and Statistics. The 2011 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study reports that more than 87% of U.S. libraries provide technology training for patrons, but 55% of urban libraries are reporting operating budget decreases during the current fiscal year, followed by suburban (36%) and rural (26%) libraries. The report appears as American Libraries’ Summer 2011 Digital Supplement.

Number of librarians census

The U.S. Census first collected data on librarians in 1880, four years after ALA’s founding. They only counted 636 librarians nationwide. Indeed, one respondent reported on his census form that he was the “Librarian of Congress.” The U.S. Census, which became organized as a permanent Bureau in 1902, can be used to track the growth of the library profession.
Librarians in the United States, 1880–2009. (2011). Cambridge: Oxford University Press.
http://blog.oup.com/2011/06/librarian-census/

Public libraries future report

A strategic vision for 21st-century libraries
This ALA latest policy brief breaks down the formidable challenges in store for libraries during the next few decades. The brief explores how emerging technologies combined with challenges, such as financial constraints, require libraries to evolve rapidly and make strategic decisions today that will influence their future for decades to come.
ALA. Office for Information Technology Policy. (2011). Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions for the 21st Century Public Library. Chicago: ALA.
http://tinyurl.com/3hldqmo