Problem Statement: Community libraries struggle to attract young members who favor digital content, seeing traditional libraries as outdated. The challenge is making libraries appealing, tech-forward community hubs for ages 12-25.
Project Objectives:
Boost library membership and borrowing by 30% among the 12-25 age group within a year.
Integrate digital tech and interactive elements appealing to the youth, enhancing the library experience.
Build a community fostering learning, creativity, and digital literacy.
User Research: Survey and interview young users to grasp their needs, preferences, and library usage barriers, focusing on their digital habits and content expectations.
Research and
Data Overview
Conduct surveys and interviews with young users to understand their needs, preferences, and barriers to library usage. Focus on their digital habits and content expectations.
Research Methods
Surveys
Interviews
Secondary Analysis
Key Data Points
User behavior
Device usage
Demographics
Locations
Acquisition channels
Top platforms
User Persona
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Emily, The High School Enthusiast
Age: 15
Location: New York City
Interests: Photography, New York City history, Modern Fiction
Device Usage: Mobile (primarily)
Behavior: Emily, a high school student engaged with NYC's history and culture, often visits the NYPL Digital Collections and downloads "Modern Fiction" ebooks, having discovered the platform through educational TikTokers. -
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Alex, The College Student
Age: 22
Location: Brooklyn
Interests: Ebooks, Academic Research, Event Participation
Device Usage: Desktop and Mobile
Behavior: Alex, a college student, frequents the NYPL digital platform for research, ebooks on history and fiction, event participation, and found it via organic search for academic content. -
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Jordan, The Social Media Savvy
Age: 19
Location: Queens
Interests: Social Media, Virtual Library Tours, Online Learning
Device Usage: Mobile
Behavior: Jordan, a social media enthusiast, found NYPL's digital offerings via Instagram and shares their online learning and virtual tour experiences on Instagram and TikTok. -
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Taylor, The Aspiring Artist
Age: 24
Location: New York City
Interests: Digital Collections, Photography, Blog Content
Device Usage: Tablet and Mobile
Behavior: Taylor, an aspiring artist, engages with the NYPL's digital art and culture resources, actively participates in related events, and was attracted to the platform via Facebook
Recommendations:
Improve mobile access and user experience on all digital platforms.
Broaden digital and ebook collections to reflect user preferences.
Boost social media engagement on Instagram and TikTok with targeted campaigns.
Refine event listings to decrease bounce rates and enhance registration.
Test various calls to action and incentives to increase newsletter subscriptions.
Netflix Inspired E-Library
Develop a social strategy to promote a Netflix-style e-reader, designed to enrich the mobile e-book platform with improved promotions for newsletters and events.
