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Gen Y Hits the Library the Most -- But Not For Books

Posted by timothy on from the don't-tell-the-other-perverts dept.

Lucas123 writes "More than half of all Americans visited a library this past year and, of those, most were from Generation Y, the tech-loving young adults aged 18-30 years, according to a recent survey. The reason most cited for visiting their local public archive? Not books. Most were seeking gaming software programs, characters in the Second Life virtual world and online help with homework."
Another way to think about the results: about 47 percent of Americans didn't visit a library even once last year.

4 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. And a hot date who reads... by Strange+Ranger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Finding an attractive girl with a brain in her head was always a top reason for visiting the library.

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  2. That would be me by enjo13 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I didn't visit the library one single time in 2007.. and the same goes for 2006. Hell I haven't stepped foot in a library since college.

    I guess I'm a knuckle dragging idiot. Or, I use a much easier resource (the Internet) for my research. I buy books instead of borrowing them. So ya, I'm not terribly surprised that there are a bunch of other Americans just like me.

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  3. I don't visit libraries either...I have a library by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...and I'm currently connected to it.

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  4. Why does it matter? by Secrity · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am baby boomer and have haven't been to a library for over 10 years. I used to just about live in the library, but they have become irrelevant to me. The technical section is full of out of date arcane crap, yet they spend huge sums on Oprah books and Brittany Spears CDs. A few years ago I tried to donate a box full of recent technical books to the local library; THEY REFUSED TO TAKE THEM. It used to be that even if the library didn't want the books for the shelves they took them for their book sales. The up side to that is that the local used book store gave me a good price (store credit) for the books, because they were the type of books that they can sell.

    Anymore, I either get the information from the internet or I buy the books.