Internet Librarian Keynote: Lee Raine, Pew Internet and American Life (a congrunt)

Opening Keynote Monday November 15, 2004
Lee Raine, Pew Internet in American Life

(written with SubEthaEdit in tandem with Aaron on two Mac Powerbooks)

Pew charitable trusts funds project with 2 goals:

*wide public interest/news coverage
*work useful to policy makers and tech folk

Studies patterns of social interaction

63% of Adult Americans use the Internet

Internet use is the norm… there is a shrinking minority of those who do not use it.

Usage of the interent segmented in various ways: interests transfer to the online world

“I’m a Data geek.”

Expectations shifted…no longer a novely, but a utility

Current Uses

Email is number one

E-Commerce/vast digital library

The digital divide relates to age, employment, socio-economic, education level, disabilty, language, community type, race, parental status

Keep in mind the millions who are on the other side of the information gap. It is groups like this that can help them and remind folks that there are a lot of people on the other side…

Few Pew Findings:

Internet is good for social capital, doesn’t detract from social interaction (that e-mail is hot right now)

84% of internet users belong to groups that have an online component

We are more likely to meet other folks — widening horizons

Expanding social networks

People use the internet more seriously as they become

E-citizens are creating a new town square. Blogs! Discussion groups! Quick to organize on line community

One big impact not measured yet: INFORMATION OVERLOAD , no one is complaining yet

Ten Reasons we need Internet Librarians

1. No one knows better how to manage information
2. No one knows how to track down info
3. No one is better at establishing info standards
4. We have credibilty
5. No one is in a better position than us to teach about info literacy
6. Nobody is is a better position to be a watchdog in systems to sort information
7. We can teach about the process of determining credibility
8. Nobody is more empowered by professional training and creed to articulate freedom of speech
9. No one is better then at having thoughtful constructive role to talk about copyright and infomation something
10. Nobody can be as constructive in helping us think through the new norms as to what info is public and what info is private