PewInternet.org

Libraries as social networks

Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project5.6.11San Francisco library system Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @Lrainie

The rise of networked individualsBarry Wellman – University of Toronto (my co-author)

New social operating system (1):Networked Individualism

• Groups and bureaucracies give way to networks

• Social networks are more influential• Social networks are differently

composed• Social networks are more vivid and

tied to creation of information/media

New social operating system (2):New kinds of communities

• Explosion of group activity and group niches

• Rise of social posses• Advent of just-in-time, just-like-me

peer-to-peer (support) groups• Fifth Estate of content contributors

5

Revolution #1 Internet and Broadband

70% 66%

Demographic factors correlated w/ broadband adoption

Positive correlation(in order of importance)

Negative correlation(in order of importance)

Household income of $75,000 or more per year

Having high school degree or less

College degree Senior citizen (age 65+)

Parent with minor child at home

Prefers speaking Spanish in our interviews

Married or living with partner Disabled

Employed full time African-American

10/5/2010 8Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Consequences for info ecosystem

Volume Velocity

Vibrance Valence /Relevance

Consequences for info ecosystem

Explosion of creators and niches

Networked creators among internet users• 62% are social networking site users• 55% share photos• 33% create content tags • 32% contribute rankings and ratings• 30% share personal creations • 26% post comments on sites and blogs• 15% have personal website• 15% are content remixers • 14% are bloggers• 12% use Twitter• 4%-17%??? use location-sharing services

Big challenge for librariesAtoms bits

Collections are

disrupted

Big social networking add by libraries1 – Cover access divides

• 44% of those living below the poverty line used library connections• 61% of those ages 14-24 used them for

school• 54% of poor senior citizens used library

connections for health/wellness needs• 63% used library connections to help others

Source: Opportunity for All, Univ. of Washingon, Gates Foundation, IMLS http://cis.washington.edu/usimpact/documents/OPP4ALL_FinalReport.pdf

Big social networking add by libraries2 – Cover participatory divides

• 2/3 of library connection users sought assistance from library staff

• 60% of library connectors use them for social purposes

• 42% for education purposes• 40% for jobs/career purposes• 37% health and wellness purposes• 33% for community engagement

Source: Opportunity for All, Univ. of Washingon, Gates Foundation, IMLS http://cis.washington.edu/usimpact/documents/OPP4ALL_FinalReport.pdf

But there is more libraries can do: Relevance & digital literacy are primary factors for not going online

Source: Pew Internet Project, May 2010 tracking survey

10/5/2010 15Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

16

Revolution #2 Wireless

Connectivity

Cell phone owners – 85% adults

96% 90% 85%

58%

Urban-84% Suburban-86% Rural-77%

2/22/2011 18

Mobile internet connectors – 57% adults

62% 59% 55%

Urban-60% Suburban-60% Rural-43%

Demographic factors related to mobile connectivity

Positive correlation Negative correlation

College grad Less than high school education

$75,000+ household income

<$30,000 household income

Parent of minor child Rural

Republican ??? Spanish dominant in language preference

10/5/2010 20Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Cell phones as social tools

2/22/2011 22

% of cell owners

• 54% send photo or video • 23% access a social networking

site• 20% watch a video • 15% post a photo/video online • 11% have purchased a product• 11% charitable donation by

text • 10% status update service such

as Twitter

85% use cell phones

35% have apps

24% use apps

All adults

May 2010 and Nov 2010 surveys

1 in 4 adults use apps

55% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in 2006

45% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005

50% of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in 2002

42% of adults own game consoles

7% of adults own e-book readers - Kindle

7% of adults own tablet computer – iPaddoubled in 6 months

Consequences for info ecosystem

Anywhere Any device

PresencePlace

Any time

Alone together

Big challenge for librariesPeople came to us We go to people

The library as

place becomes the library as placeless

resource

Big social networking add by librariesHelp navigate and “make peace” with info

• Apps vs. web vs. traditional resource locators

• Access to real-time information• Context of information – augmented

reality• Sanctuary – quiet space

28

Revolution #3Social

Networking

The social networking population is more diverse than you might think

2/22/2011 29

5x

5x

7x5x

Demographic factors correlated w/ SNS use

Positive correlation Negative correlation

Under age 30 Senior citizen (age 65+)

Female (overall)Male (frequency)

Rural

Parent with minor child at home

Non-cell user

Some college Disability

Urban

10/5/2010 30Trends in Home Broadband Adoption

Online video

2/22/2011 31

What You Need to Know:• 69% of internet users (half of all US

adults) watch videos online – and not just funny cat videos

• 14% of internet users have uploaded their own video content (up from 8% in 2007); sharing as likely to occur on social networking sites as specialized video sites

Video creation

2/22/2011 32

What You Need to Know:

• 14% of adult internet users have posted video online

• Up from 8% in 2007

• Biggest growth among older adults, women

Online social networks + ubiquitous mobility

• Allows for immediate, spontaneous creation of networks

• Gives people a sense that there are more “friends” in their networks that they can access when they have needs

2/22/2011 33

Social Dashboard

Pervasive Awareness

Big shift for librariesExpertise and influence shifts to networks

Share the stage with amateur experts

Big social networking add by libraries1 - Can be embedded in …

Attention zonesContinuous

partial attentionDeep divesInfo-snackingDay dreaming???

Media zonesSocial streamsImmersive Creative /

participatoryStudy / work

Big social networking by libraries2 – Can be nodes in social networks

• As sentries – word of mouth matters more• As information evaluators – they vouch

for/discredit a business’s credibility and authenticity

• As forums for action – everybody’s a broadcaster/publisher

Cosmic social networking add by libraries1 – Can be teachers of new literacies

- screen literacy - graphics and symbols - navigation literacy - connections and context literacy - skepticism - value of contemplative time - how to create content - ethical behavior in new world

Cosmic social networking add by libraries2 – Can help fill in civic gaps

- the big sort among institutions: public, private, non-profit reimagining roles

- the big sort on news and information landscape

- the big empowerment and move to networked individuals

Meta issue 1: The future of knowledge

•How is it created? •How is it disseminated?

Meta issue 2: The future of reference expertise

• How to you search for info?• How to you assess it and

aggregate it?

Meta issue 3: The future of public technology

• What is the future of knowledge “containers” and access points?

• What divides does that create?• What “lending” and “access”

models are possible?

Meta issue 4: The future of learning spaces

• What fosters collaboration?• What is the role of solitary

focus? (and quiet space?)

Meta issue 5: The future of community anchor institutions

• Does local matter?• What does our community

need?

Practical question - 1• What’s the franchise vs.

commodity?–What’s the aggregation play?

Do what you do best and link to the rest

Practical question – 2 • What’s the social networking

play? What alliances can we strike to do distributed versions of our mission? What’s the word-of-mouth, viral play?

Practical question - 3• What’s the mobile play? How do

we understand and exploit real-time information with our patrons?

Practical question - 4• What’s the gift economy play?

– Another way to say it: What’s the API play? What can we pry loose that OTHERS can exploit?

– What feedback do we want from our stakeholders?

Practical question - 5• What’s the definition of success

that is based on outcomes NOT outputs?

• How do we measure it?

Key questions for any organization - 6

• What’s the gamer play – immersive, compelling, skills building

Be not afraid