Wisconsin libraries adapting to changing media technology

MADISON (WKOW) — Tana Elias has been visiting the library since she was a child. Her grandmother, a children’s book writer, taught her to love books. “She really instilled in me the interest in reading and writing and the value of education,” she said. […]

People like Elias have a lifelong commitment to visiting and improving the public library system. But a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that with a changing media landscape, fewer people are going to them. The growing popularity of Netflix, YouTube, e-books and podcasts means many people are looking elsewhere for information and entertainment. The study found that Madison’s circulation dropped almost 35 percent between 2009 and 2018. But from 2015 to 2018, the county’s e-content use rose 52 percent. And in some Wisconsin libraries, Wifi usage and program attendance more than doubled. Elias said we’re seeing these trends because the library offers more than just books. […]

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