Lee Rainie on Networked Creators and Implications for Libraries

Lee Rainie, director of Pew Internet & American Life Project, is a popular keynoter at our conferences. He understands the demographics of internet users and, more importantly, really has a grasp of the role librarians can play in serving the information needs of users. He had some interesting statistics to share, insightful comments on our online culture, and some implications for libraries.

Lee Rainie and Jane Dysart

Back in 2000, just 46% of adults used the internet, and only 5% used broadband at home. Now, 75% of adults use the internet. The 25% who don’t tend to be older, disabled, or lack English proficiency. There are clearly still populations that need and want help.

Here are some further recent statistics:

• 62% have broadband at home
• 80% have cell phone
• 53% connect to internet wirelessly

And here are some stats reflecting what Rainie calls the new “networked creator universe.”

• 57% are social networking site users
• 37% share photos
• 30% share personal creations
• 30% contribute rankings and ratings
• 28% create content tags
• 19% use Twitter – but it’s not the young. It’s a Gen X thing.
• 15% have a personal website
• 15% are content remixers
• 14% are bloggers

Borrowing from Manuel Castells’ book (The Internet Galaxy), he says there have been four creators of online culture: techno-elites, hackers, virtual communitarians, and entrepreneurs. Ranie says there is now a 5th creator of online culture – networked creators. These creators are challenging the traditional media gatekeepers and democratizing the voices in media. They have also increased their social networks and social standings, created communities, solved problems, and contributed to civic and political affairs. The surprising statistic is he says that 70 % of the content in social media is not covered in the traditional media. The blogosphere is filled with an eclectic mix of stories.

But here’s the meat of his message for librarians—the implications for our library services.

1.  You can be a node in people’s social networks – as they seek info to help them solve problems and meet their needs

2.  You can teach new literacies (borrowed from librarian Pam Berger) – screen literacies matter, navigation literacy, connections and context literacy, skepticism, the value of contemplative time, how to create content, ethical behavior in a new world

3.  You need to re-vision your role in a world where much has changed (how to serve multiple audiences in a complicated world) –value of information, curating information means more than collections, creating media (network media creators should be your allies)