Millennials in the U.S. are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult generation, according to a Pew Research Center survey from fall 2016 that found 53% of Millennials (those ages 18 to 35 at the time) said they had used a library or bookmobile in the previous 12 months, compared to 45% of Gen Xers, 43% of Baby Boomers and 36% of those in the Silent Generation.
Millennials are also more likely than their elders to have used a library website in the past 12 months (41%), compared to 24% of Boomers. Across all generations, use of public library mobile apps is less common. Just 8% of Millennials, 9% of Gen Xers and 9% of Boomers used a library app in the past 12 months.
Women are more likely than men to say they visited a public library or bookmobile (54% vs. 39%) or use library websites (37% vs. 24%). College graduates (56%) are more likely than those whose education ended with a high school diploma (40%) to use libraries or bookmobiles. Parents of minor children are more likely than non-parents to have used a library (54% vs. 43%).