Vol, 6, No. 37: November 26, 2007		Get SEAchange by email

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4. Report throws light on "digital natives"

A report from Idaho reveals perceptions held by "digital natives," defined as the generation (12-25 years old) growing up with computers since infancy.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICFL) released the report, "Perceptions of Idaho's Digital Natives on Public Libraries," which examines strategies for reaching digital natives, who currently use the state's libraries at below-average rates.

One of the report's key findings was that digital natives place a high value on learning and education. The surveyed youth also reported that teachers play an extremely important role in their learning experiences, and that learning about opposing viewpoints and having interactions with others are important parts of their learning. Digital natives noted that they are most likely to pay attention to information that is fun and interesting. Repeatedly, participants stated that they trusted information that they read in books or found in libraries, but the Internet was nonetheless the most popular place to begin a search for information, as the desire for convenience reigned for most digital natives.

The full report: http://libraries.idaho.gov/files/default/2007-digital-native-rpt.pdf

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Last updated on 11/26/2007