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GailGriffithforChesterCountyLibrarySystemPage1of14

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4/22/09

FindingsandAnalysisCCLSFocusGroupsApril2009DuringthemonthofApril,weheldsevenfocusgroupsattendedby32membersofthepublic.TheinvitationlistwasasubsetofthelistofinviteestotheCCLSSearchConference;thosewhowereunabletoattendtheSearchConferencewereofferedtheopportunitytoparticipateinafocusgroup.Asaresult,wewereabletohearfromopinionleadersinthecommunity,includingbusinesspeople,educators,countyofficialsandcountystaff,anaidetoastatelegislator,highschoolstudents,andmembersofthegeneralpublic.Wewerefortunatethatthegroupincludedpeoplewithdiverselibraryexperience;somepeopleweredevotedlibraryusers,whileothershadnotvisitedapubliclibraryinatleastayear.Inadditiontothesefocusgroups,severalfocusgroupswereheldwithstafffromlibrariesthroughoutChesterCounty.Theconsultantmetwithtwogroups,whileotherSteeringCommitteemembersmetwithfourmore:twogroupsofstaff,agroupofCCLSmanagers,andattendeesataCCLSgeneralstaffmeeting.Weaskedallthegroupsquestionsaboutthemselvesandhowtheyuseinformation,aboutlibrariesingeneral,andabouttheirlocallibraries.Themesandtrendsarereportedbelow.Whatstoodout?Respondentswantthelibrarytoprovide

convenience,comfortablecommunityspaces,andcommunityoutreach.

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BusyLivesandRecreationalPursuits:

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Mostpeoplearepressedfortime.Theyappreciateconvenience,andlookforwaystospendtheirfreetimewiththeirfamiliesinavarietyofpursuitsinwhichtheycanincludetheirfamilies.

LibraryStaff

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Work,family,andvolunteercommitmentslimittheamountofdiscretionarytimeavailable.

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Readingwastheactivitymostfrequentlymentionedasapreferreduseoffreetime,followedbymovies,culturalevents,outdooractivities,familypursuits,andrecreationalusesofcomputers.Adults

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Businessandcareerpursuits,holdingdownmorethanonejob,longcommutes,andfamilyandhouseholdresponsibilitieswerecitedasreasonsthatadults’livesaresobusy.Evenretiredparticipantstoldustheyhavelittlefreetime.Oneparticipanttoldusthatsincehisemployerisdownsizing,workresponsibilitieshavebecomegreater—andsomewhatjokinglysaidthatevenifhehadsomefreetime,hewouldn’tadmitit!

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About¼ofadultsmentionedreadingasa

GailGriffithforChesterCountyLibrarySystemPage2of14

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4/22/09

waytheyusefreetime.Moreoftenmentionedwerefamilypursuits,culturalandcommunityevents,outdooractivities,sportingevents,crafts.Severaladultsmentionedthatmost(ifnotall)leisurepursuitswerecenteredaroundtheirfamily.Teens

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Althoughtheteenssaidthatschoolandextracurricularactivitieskeepthembusy,mostsaidtheyhada‘decent’amountoffreetimetospendwithfriends.Theymentionedmusic,TV,movies,andsportsastheirpreferredleisurepursuits.

UsingTechnology:

Nearlyallrespondents,regardlessofage,aresophisticatedusersofavarietyoftechnologies.

LibraryStaff

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Respondentscitedavarietyofinternet‐basedtoolsneededfortheirdailywork,suchassearchengines,email,onlinecalendars,RSS,onlinetaxforms,andsocialnetworkingapplicationssuchasFacebook.

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Likethegeneralpublic,staffuseIM,texting,iPods,YouTube,downloadablemusic,andsimilarapplications.Theyalsodosomescreen‐reading,mentioningonlinenewspapersandrecipesites.Adults

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Amajorityofparticipantsexpressedcomfortinusingawidevarietyoftechnologiesonadailybasis.Only3ofthe32adultparticipantssaidtheywerenotverycomputer‐savvy,andeventheyusedavarietyofinternet‐basedfunctionsforwork.

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Severalgroupsmentionedthattechnologyissoingrainedintoourdailylivesthatwesometimesforgetweareusingit—itisintegrated,transparent,andpervasive.Thisseemedtobetrueregardlessoftheageoftheparticipants.

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Skype,DVR,iPod,games,cellphones,buildingawebsiteaboutanupcomingwedding,andhavingacomputer‐basedbusinesswereexamplesoftechnologythegroupwascomfortablewith.Asoneparticipantcommented,“alloureconomicdecision‐makingisdoneonline”—shopping,travel,andworktasksbeingcitedmostfrequently.

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Therewassomedisagreementaboutwhetherbeingconnected24/7wasagoodorabadthing.SeveralparticipantssaidtheylovedtheirBlackberryorcellphoneanddidn’twanttobewithoutit,whileotherswishedtheycouldleaveit—

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andwork—behindmoreoften.

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Adultsmadeanumberofcommentsongenerationaldifferencestheyhaveobserved,including:

Icallthekindergartenstudentsatmyelementaryschool‘digitalbabies’becauseofthewaytheyusetechnology.Theycangoonvirtualfieldtrips,andarecomfortablewithtechnologyalmostintuitively.

Icallmyteenagersandtheirfriendsthe‘resetgeneration’becausetheyarecomfortablewithstartingataskoverifitisn’tworkingoutjustright,ratherthanseeingitthroughtocompletion.

Evenmyelderlyparentsaskmetogoonlineforsomethingtheywant.They’renotcomfortabledoingitthemselvesbuttheyknowthat’showtogetwhattheywant.Teens

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Hands‐down,theiPodisthetechnologyofchoice.(“IgotosleeplisteningtomusicandIwakeuplisteningtoit.”)

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Teensusecellphonestotext,nottalk.Theyusecomputersforcheckingtheirgrades,doinghomework,andsocialnetworkingonFacebook.TheyalsosaidtheyenjoyedplayingXboxgames.

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Whenaskedwhethertheywould‘friend’thelibraryifithadaFacebookpage,theteensunanimouslysaidtheywouldnot.Theiradviceforthelibrarywastouseanidentityspecifictothetypeofprogramoreventitwantedtomarket—forexample,ifthelibraryheldaseriesofcoffeehouseprograms,teenswouldchoosetoconnectwiththat.

InformationandLearning:

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Mostrespondentsareverycomfortableandsatisfied findinginformationtomeettheirdailyneedswithoutoutsideassistance.Theynotedthatreliableandtrustedinformationaboutsometopics(suchashealth)isharderto find,andthatsometimesknowingthesearchtermstouseisachallenge.Adultsin particularvalueguidancefrompeopletheytrust,althoughtheyoftenusetechnologyto