Gen Z And Millennials Just Might Save Libraries

A new study by the American Library Association (ALA) reveals that 54 percent of the Gen Z and Millennials surveyed had visited a library within the previous 12 months.

Gen Z and millennials get a lot of grief. They are killing ironing, not setting their tables, and no longer using real estate agents. Kids these days, right? However, there is at least one thing for which they should get a lot of credit: Turns out members of those two generations are visiting libraries at a higher rate than older ones. The kids, as they say, are alright.

A new study by the American Library Association (ALA) reveals that 54 percent of the Gen Z and Millennials surveyed had visited a library within the previous 12 months. “Great news: Younger generations of people are reading books, buying books, and visiting libraries,” said Rachel Noorda, Ph.D. who, along with Kathi Inman Berens, Ph.D., conducted the survey.

Even folks who don’t identify as readers make good use of the library, Per a press release from the American Library Association, “more than half of the 43 percent of Gen Z and Millennials who don’t self-identify as readers have been to their local library in the past 12 months.”

While stereotypically younger generations are glued to their phones, when it comes to reading, they definitely prefer physical books. Those who answered the survey not only read, but even bought, twice as many print books per month.

Despite their love of a good book, they are still making use of the library’s digital offerings, regularly borrowing from their library’s digital collections. It’s not just books, though. As anyone who has been to their local library may know, those buildings house a lot more than just books and younger generations are apparently taking full advantage of that. "These digitally-immersed generations make clear that libraries are about more than books,” ALA President Emily Drabinski said in a statement. “Programming relevant to teens and their parents – coding clubs, job application help, gaming – draws even non-readers to the library, as does the physical space to connect and collaborate."

That’s right, libraries are cool. Of course, any kid who grew up with access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library probably already knew that.

Happy reading, y'all.

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