Overheard my nephew say 'back when libraries had actual books' and it hit me different

I was picking up a hold at the downtown branch last Tuesday and heard a teenager say that to his friend while they were walking past the fiction stacks. Made me realize how much has shifted to digital with Libby and Hoopla for even the basic stuff. Does anyone still browse the physical shelves for new reads or is that just a habit I can't break?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_miller19d ago

Librarian friend says her physical checkouts are actually up 12% this year.

dakotam1718d ago

I saw a piece in the Atlantic last month about how Gen Z is actually driving the return to physical books, which surprised me (since we always hear about them being glued to their phones). They cited a survey where 65% of people under 25 said they prefer print for deep reading or studying, like for school or just focusing. Your friend's 12% increase makes total sense to me based on that, especially since libraries are leaning into stuff like cozy reading nooks and community events rather than just being quiet book warehouses.