The world today is constantly changing, and our digital and physical lives are becoming more intertwined on a daily basis.
Many young people now spend as much time online as they do offline. This doesn’t however mean that libraries can only engage with them through digital resources, such as video streaming, music streaming, and digital comics.
In fact – thanks largely to research from the American Library Association (ALA) – we have reason to believe that right now, libraries play a more important role for young patrons than ever.
In this blog, we will explore the different ways librarians can transform younger patrons into lifelong library users.
Build a Social Media Presence
One of the easiest ways to attract younger generations to the library is to consistently show up online.
The ALA’s report “Gen Z and Millenials: How They Use Public Libraries and Identify Through Media Use” shows that 92% of Gen Z and millennials check social media every day.
By leveraging these platforms, you have a real opportunity to meaningfully engage with younger patron demographics.
Brooklyn Public Library, for example, uses social media to great effect. They run regular “BPL Recommends” TikTok campaigns that showcase new books and library events.
If you aren’t sure how to get started with social media, we’re here to help!
We recently created an in-depth guide to help you enhance your library’s social media strategy.
You can check it out using the link below:
7 Ways to Enhance Your Library’s Social Media Strategy
Curate relevant collections
Looking beyond your library’s own online presence, you can also use social media to understand the books younger generations are most likely to read.
For example, research shows that over a third of Gen Z and millennial TikTok users buy books based on reviews and ads they see on the platform. Not only that, but the younger a Gen Z reader is, the more likely it is that they will want to read a physical book rather than a digital copy.
Therefore, doing some research to see what is most popular with these demographics online can help you to stock your shelves with books that will circulate well.
collectionHQ can also help you curate youth-centric collections.
Our Top Charts tool creates pre-formatted reports on the most popular books within your collection, and can be filtered at a system, branch or sub-genre level.
You can then use this information to purchase similar items to build out your collection or share existing material more prominently on your shelves.
If particular genres appear to be more popular than others, you could theme events around them, such as book clubs, to encourage younger patrons to become regular library users.
Offer creative learning opportunities
We all know just how much libraries offer patrons beyond physical shelves for books.
That’s why one of the most interesting points from the ALA’s research on Gen Z and millennials was that over half of respondents who didn’t identify as readers, had still visited their local library within the past 12 months.
What they did identify as, were:
- Writers (33%)
- Live streamers (17%)
- Podcasters (14%)
These creative skills are becoming increasingly important in a digital-first world – and they can open up new pathways and opportunities for young people.
Therefore, providing resources for young patrons to discover new hobbies, make new friends, and develop their passions will encourage them to spend more time in the library.
Here are a few of our favourite examples of how libraries are using state-of-the-art creative spaces to engage with young patrons:
- Vancouver Public Library’s Inspiration Labs have purpose-built recording studios for patrons to create their own audio and video.
- Calgary Public Library’s Creative Studios are free for patrons to book, and have microphones and recording software to create podcasts, YouTube videos, and more.
- Denver Public Library’s ideaLAB is a hub of creative opportunities for teenagers, with free-to-use art supplies, sewing machines, 3D printers, and more.
Host youth-centric events
Most libraries have comfortable hangout spaces to attract younger readers. But what other ways are you engaging with younger generations?
Events have always been a great way to encourage patrons to engage with library spaces and resources.
Here are a couple of great examples aimed at younger generations:
- Earlier this year, members of the touring production of the hip-hop musical ‘Hamilton’ attended the popular ‘Hip-Hop Storytime’ event at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library.
- In the UK, North Walsham Library hosted friendship bracelet making workshops inspired by Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ in 2024, as a way of bringing more teenagers into the library.
- International Games Month is a popular event across the US, with libraries offering puzzles, tabletop games, video game tournaments, game design workshops, and much more to patrons.
It is clear that for many young people – whose lives are increasingly spent online – libraries represent a warm, welcoming, and safe physical space where they can explore their creativity and socialize.
You could also run programs that encourage non-readers to become readers!
In the UK, for example, The Reading Agency’s ‘Reading Ahead’ program – where participants choose six books and then share their thoughts in their own personal reading diary – runs in public libraries around the UK.
The program is aimed at young people and adults who are less confident readers, those who want to improve their literacy, and those who want to get back into reading.
Advocate for information access
Finally, librarians have a duty to protect everyone’s freedom to access information. This viewpoint has never been more important than when considering our younger generations.
The book ban controversies in the US are disproportionately impacting young people and their access to entire genres of work; more specifically, there are attempts to block access to works about the experiences of marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors.
The more we can preserve and maintain access to history and knowledge, the more informed choices younger generations can make about the materials they want to read.
Attract Younger Generations to Your Library with collectionHQ
Although the world is becoming increasingly more digital, the library remains as a place of discovery, enjoyment, and safety for young people.
The younger generations are the future. By following the advice detailed above, you will be able to create collections and resources that best serve their interests, so they become the greatest advocates for the necessity of public libraries.
collectionHQ helps you curate and manage your collection to ensure it serves every demographic of your membership. Our award-winning software is designed to make every aspect of collection management more efficient and effective, using tailored insights and analytics to speed up decision making and improve collection performance.
To see collectionHQ in action, simply contact us and our team will get in touch to arrange your personalised demo.