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Young People Still Read Books, Both Online And In Print

A new report out from the Pew Research Center says that people under the age of 30 are more likely to read and are more likely to use their public library.
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Article written by guest writer Kecia Lynn

What’s the Latest Development?

A new report out from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project reveals that just over 8 in 10 Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 read a book in the past year, with most of those reading print books. It also showed that, for many young people, e-books supplemented, rather than replaced, print books. Lead author Kathryn Zickuhr said, “They see [e-books] as part of the same general ecosystem…we heard from a lot of younger e-book readers about how e-books just fit into their lives.” In addition, 6 in 10 Americans under the age of 30 used the library in the past year. The data for the report was collected from a survey of just under 3,000 people.

What’s the Big Idea?

Libraries in particular are looking for more creative ways to engage young people in reading. Zickuhr says that this demographic is “interested in the idea of preloaded e-readers — being able to check out an e-reader at a library that already has some popular titles on it.” They are taking more steps towards designing spaces and activities just for teens and young adults, “so that they can think of the library as a space of their own.”

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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