Photo by Susan Yin on Unsplash

Thanks to smartphones and tablets, book reading no longer requires a trip to the local library. Amazon alone probably holds all the books you could read in a hundred lifetimes, but many people still prefer to stop by their local library regularly, whether it’s for looking up a guide or job hunting.

In a recent survey conducted across the United States, Pew Research Center uncovers the habits of Americans young and old, rich and poor, educated or not, based on race, gender, etc. The research group found some interesting things, including the fact that two-thirds of all of those 16 and older believe that closing their local public library would have a significant impact on their community. 32% said it would affect them (and their respective families) directly.

Who are the most frequent library goers?

Of course, concerns about libraries getting shuttered are divided across America. Hispanics, women, parents and older adults expect it to have a major impact on their community – much greater than the 65% figure for all of those ages 16 and older, according to the paper. The most frequent library visitors are Hispanics. 21% of those polled said they visit the public library at least once a week. Only 14% of the rest of the respondents said the same. Younger and better educated people prefer to use libraries virtually, i.e. via a web site or an app.

Activities like checking out a book or getting help from a librarian are on the low. In a similar survey conducted in 2012, 73% said they visited a library in the past 12 months to borrow a print book. This year that number is 66%. 50% asked a librarian for help in 2012, and this year that number was 42%.

A ‘trusty,’ public service

African Americans prefer using computers and (implicitly) the Internet at their local library. So do Hispanics and those in lower-income households. The reason may be fairly obvious: job search. However, this activity too is on the decline this year, having dropped 13% since 2012. But that’s actually good news, since the drop is on par with the recent improvement in the job market in the United States. 19% of all those ages 16 and older say libraries help “a lot” with job search and workforce skills in general, but out of that number, 34% who say this are Hispanics.

Finally, everyone agrees that libraries are helpful for learning and information sharing. Seeking reliable health information is seen as a top library perk by 36% of those interviewed, while 37% consider this a benefit. 31% also agree that public libraries help them learn how to use new technologies. Perhaps most importantly, 24% trust that their local public library offers more trustworthy information than the Internet.