Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, spend a lot of time online, consuming and creating digital content. Ninety-two percent check social media daily. But they still like print, and they still like to go to the library, according to a survey of Gen Z and Millennial public library use and media consumption released by the American Library Association last fall. With Gen Z now making up a substantial portion of today’s college students, their attitudes toward libraries have implications for higher education.
“The report is quite interesting from an academic library perspective,” said Beth McNeil, 2023-2024 president of the Association of College and Research Libraries and dean of libraries at Purdue University. “A number of ACRL members would say ‘Wow, we see a lot of similarities in terms of usage and media consumption.’”
The study’s authors, Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda of Portland State University, analyzed quantitative data from about 2,000 respondents, roughly divided between Gen Zers and Millennials. They also did ethnographic research at two Ohio public library branches. They found that young people look to libraries to provide safe places to hang out and to access resources like free Wi-Fi, makerspaces, and tech equipment — expectations they carry with them to college, according to people who work in and with academic libraries.
At Purdue, a staggering 98 percent of undergraduates actually spend time in the libraries, McNeil said. (The ALA survey found that 54 percent of respondents visited the public library in a 12-month period). Many undergrads come to study or to track down academic resources, but there’s a social pull as well, another trend flagged by the ALA survey. “They might be coming in for coffee. They might be coming in for a class if we’re in a combined library/classroom space. They might be coming in to see their friends, but we know they’re coming into our physical spaces,” McNeil said. “It’s about space and place for most of us, especially undergraduate libraries,” she added.
Some students visit the library to impress their friends. She recalled one undergraduate who liked to study there because “you can see who’s there and they can see you and they can know you’re smart.” As McNeil put it, “See and be seen is the basis for applying yourself to your studies.”
Assessing Student Needs
For undergrads with packed schedules, the campus library has become a sort of one-stop shop, a place to charge and recharge in between classes, get a snack or a cup of coffee, hang out and plug in. Gen Z students typically carry multiple devices (think laptop or tablet, smartphone, headphones) that need juice.