Seniors On the Web

Over the past few years Libraries have been pushed to re-revaluate their approach to the teen and young adult markets. Seniors in libraries are changing too.

Seniors increasingly read news online, use social media to stay connected

“The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that people 74 and older represent the fastest growing demographic on the sites. Sixteen percent of Internet users in that age group now visit them, compared with four percent in 2008.”

“While younger people still greatly outnumber their elders on sites like Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn, a new [Pew] study shows older generations have begun to catch up.”

“Older people already are large consumers of media. They’re more likely than younger folks to read a daily newspaper and watch network television newscasts. And while seniors were relatively slow to discover the Internet, they tend to use it extensively once they become comfortable with it.”

“AARP’s Facebook page has more than 20,000 followers.”

If you’re interested in learning more about seniors in today’s libraries, check out this book (disclosure: I wrote a chapter):

Boomers and Beyond: Reconsidering the Role of Libraries
Edited by Pauline Rothstein and Diantha Dow Schull
Item Number: 978-0-8389-1014-6
Publisher: ALA Editions
Price: $55.00

I am sure you can see a copy at ALA Midwinter in San Diego in January. I hope to see many of you there.

My pal, Peter Rogers, and I will also be doing a public interview of a groupseniors at the OLA Superconference in February too. (There will also be interview panel sessions on Millennials, higher ed scholars and Boomers too. At this conference we will be truly end user focused!)

Stephen