Interconnections: The IMLS National Study on the Use of Libraries,

Museums and the Internet

José-Marie Griffiths, Dean and ProfessorDonald W. King, Distinguished Research Professor

School of Information and Library ScienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

• Conduct national survey of information needs of users and potential users of online information

• Primary focus on museums, public libraries and the Internet as sources

• Telephone surveys of adults (18 and over)

Surveys

The Power of Trust

Conclusion 1: Libraries and museums evoke

consistent, extraordinary public trust among diverse adult users.

Libraries and museums are the most trusted sources of information according to a survey of over 1,700 adults.

The Internet Does Not Kill Libraries and Museums

Conclusion #2: Internet use is positively related to in-person visits to museums and

libraries.

Adults Who Use the Internet are More Likely to Visit Libraries and Museums

66.4%

38.3%

73.3%

66.7%

47.4%

71.0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Proportion of Adult Visitors

Museums

PublicLibraries

Proportion of Public Library and Museum Visitors Who Use or Do Not Use the Internet

Internet usersNon-users of the InternetAll adults

Adults Who Use the Internet Visit Libraries and Museums More Often

3.14

1.34

3.46

3.42

3.36

3.44

1 2 3 4 5

Number of visits per adult

Museums

PublicLibraries

Average Number of Public Library and Museum Visits by Those Who Use and Do Not Use the Internet

Internet usersNon-users of the InternetAll adults

Amount of use of the Internet is positively correlated with the number of in-person visits to museums and has a positive effect on in-person visits to public libraries.

Trends in increased in-person visits to museums and public libraries are much more positive with adults who use the Internet than with those who do not.

Total Number of Visits to Museums by Adults, 2006

In-Person Visits 701 millionRemote Online Visits 542 million

Total Visits 1.2 billion

Total Number of Visits to Public Libraries by Adults, 2006

In-Person Visits 762 millionRemote Online Visits 558 million

Total Visits 1.3 billion

The number of remote online visits is positively correlated with the number of in-person visits to museums and public libraries.

Q. Why do we need museums and libraries if we have the Internet?A.Interconnections

Conclusion #3: Museums and public libraries

in-person and online serve important and complementary roles

in supporting a wide variety of information needs.

To fulfill their need for information, most adults use museums, public libraries, and the Internet. Museums and public libraries are used by 70%, the Internet is used by 83%, and nearly half (47%) use all three. Only 7% of adults do not use any of the three sources.

The vast majority of visitors to museums (95%) and public libraries (96%) visit in-person; 45% of museum visitors visit online and in-person and 42% of public library visitors visit online and in-person.

Interconnections

Both in-person and remote visits to museums are learning experiences with adults indicating they learned something new in 87% of in-person visits and 86% of remote visits. Children were helped with learning more in 8% of in-person visits and 5% of remote visits.

8.4%

37.2%

59.9%

75.8%

86.6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Proportion of In-Person Visits

Helped child learn more

New way of thinking

Learned about a specific topic

Encouraged further learning

Learned something new

Proportion of In-Person Visits to Museums by How They Learned

5.2%

29%

65.6%

81.2%

85.5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Proportion of Remote Visits

Helped child learn more

New way of thinking

Learned about a specific topic

Encouraged further learning

Learned something new

Proportion of Remote Visits to Museums by How They Learned

The different modes of access to public libraries tend to address very different distributions of information needs. Online visits (both remote and in- library) are used much more for formal education and work-related needs than other in-person visits which are used much more for recreation or entertainment purposes.

Personal or family needs

25%

Recreation or entertainment

14%

Formal education

needs43%

Work-related needs18%

Most Important Purpose for Online (Remoteand in-library) Visits

Recreation or entertainment

47%

Work-related needs

6%

Formal education

needs26%

Personal or family needs

21%

Most Important Purpose for In-person Visits (not workstation use)

Most Important Purpose for All Visits

Personal or family needs

23%

Recreation or entertainment

30%

Work-related needs12%

Formal education

needs35%

José-Marie Griffiths, PhD Dean and Professor Donald W. King

Distinguished Research Professor

• School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Email: jmgriff@unc.edu, dwk@unc.edu• phone: (919)962-8366

fax: (919)962-8071 • Mail:

School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #3360100 Manning Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360