More Americans Went To the Library Than To the Movies Last Year (lithub.com) 102
The US film industry may have generated revenues somewhere in the region of $40 billion last year, but it seems Hollywood still has plenty of work to do if it wants to compete with that most hallowed of American institutions: the public library. From a report: According to a recent Gallup poll (the first such survey since 2001), visiting the local library remains by far the most common cultural activity Americans engage in. As reported earlier today by Justin McCarthy: "Visiting the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in, by far. The average 10.5 trips to the library U.S. adults report taking in 2019 exceeds their participation in eight other common leisure activities. Americans attend live music or theatrical events and visit national or historic parks roughly four times a year on average and visit museums and gambling casinos 2.5 times annually. Trips to amusement or theme parks (1.5) and zoos (.9) are the least common activities among this list."
Go the the library through my Kindle (Score:5, Insightful)
As a side note, there are many people that do not have home internet access that they can get at the Library. The Library systems truly are there for people where the movie industry is not. And never has been. Not a problem with. But everyone knows the library is there for everyone, the music industry is there for them selves.
Re: (Score:3)
My library system has an app. I can browse their catalog, take out eBooks, request books/movies/music, be notified when my requests are in, and renew anything I've taken out. Yes, I still need to physically go to the library to pick up/return non-electronic materials, but I can avoid driving to different libraries in the hopes that something is in by just checking the app. I definitely go to the library more than I go to the movies.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How do you get to screw the librarian?
She's on Pornhub now.
Self reported data (Score:3)
This is all based on self-reported survey data.
So people say they go to the library more than other activities.
But if you actually go to the library and the theaters, and count bodies, you will likely get a very different result.
Re: Self reported data (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I was under the impression that libraries were in danger of dying out. That might vary with geographical location however. The book stores are certainly dying out, I've seen far too many close in my area over the past 20 years, a number of Waldenbooks, Borders books, independent owners, and so forth, the only brick' n' mortar chain left now is B &N, not sure how long they'll hold out against Amazon.
Another thing, judging by my son and his friends, the youngest generation doesn't like to read mu
Re:Self reported data (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Another thing, judging by my son and his friends, the youngest generation doesn't like to read much anymore, they'd rather watch a video on YouTube to learn (?) things instead. Which I don't understand, because there is so much fluff and crap you have to wade through before you get to the heart of the matter, because too many people hosting YT channels want their 15 minutes of fame and like the sound of their own voice.
I cannot count how many videos I've seen online where they purport to attempt something and succeed at it while cutting from the first scene to the final product without demonstrating any knowledge of application. Some people can pick up on when they are being purposefully misdirected. It is possible a side effect from these fake videos will draw more critical thinking out of the viewer, but that is wishful thinking.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I was under the impression that libraries were in danger of dying out. That might vary with geographical location however. The book stores are certainly dying out, I've seen far too many close in my area over the past 20 years, a number of Waldenbooks, Borders books, independent owners, and so forth, the only brick' n' mortar chain left now is B &N, not sure how long they'll hold out against Amazon.
You can't equate libraries with book stores; they operate on entirely different models. Until you can get books for essentially free (ignoring whatever tiny amount of your tax bill goes to your local library,) Amazon won't have an appreciable impact on libraries.
Another thing, judging by my son and his friends, the youngest generation doesn't like to read much anymore, they'd rather watch a video on YouTube to learn (?) things instead. Which I don't understand, because there is so much fluff and crap you have to wade through before you get to the heart of the matter, because too many people hosting YT channels want their 15 minutes of fame and like the sound of their own voice. There's lot of beating around the bush to get their ad revenue. It's so much quicker to google and read, IMO.
If we are reading more, that's good, but it seems unrealistically optimistic to me.
Depends on the person and the activity. Personally, I find YT videos invaluable for some things that're essentially impossible to describe in a book without using entire pages to -maybe- get the point across -- things like tool handling techniques
Re: Self reported data (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
"As a side note, there are many people that do not have home internet access that they can get at the Library. "
And all the homeless people, because it's warm and the oldsters who go read newspapers for free every single day.
Not our libraries. (Score:3)
Our library here Germany is amazing.
It has game consoles, a real large piano, an electronic drum kit, free courses in creative/engineering topics (like 3D design), even freakin 3D printers. All treated casually as if they were the most normal thing for a library.
Apart from those expensive expert textbooks and such that you just can't get on the Internet.
We got a lot of voluntary workers here in Germany though. 10% of the work force! (Because we got a lot of older people who don't want to sit at home, and yo
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I think probably somewhere in between. Libraries in the Puget Sound area are becoming more diverse in their offerings with inexpensive/free meeting rooms, gaming, computer labs where classes are offered, and the like. No 3D printers yet (that I know of) but they are evolving.
Re: (Score:2)
I think your view of a library is somewhat outdated. Across the US libraries are both modernizing and attempting to become more of a kind of community center in order to maintain relevance. This has been a trend for the last decade or so.
At least in my area, all the 'extra' stuff (like the 3d printers and such) is all run by the Library, under their budget.
Re: (Score:2)
My library doesn't have the musical instruments, but you -can- check out fishing gear. Plus, it's got the 3d-printers and attendant courses. :)
Re:Go the the library through my Kindle (Score:5, Interesting)
A lot of times I'd go to the library when I had writing to do for work rather than do it on the dining room table. A change of scenery really helps you get in the mindset that it's time to work now.
Re:Go the the library through my Kindle (Score:5, Insightful)
"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."
-- Anne Herbert
Re: (Score:2)
The library has not stood still when it comes to modernization
Indeed. The last time I went to a library (a couple weeks ago), I was pleasantly surprised to find that you could book time on their high quality 3d printer for free! I'm sure there were some reasonable limits to how much time and material you could use... but... Free!
Re: (Score:1)
Not really surprised (Score:5, Insightful)
The Library doesn't cost you $25+ for a single trip.
Re: (Score:3)
It also has a wider selection.
Imagine going to the library and only have perhaps up to 20 books available. 5 of them are Action/Adventure stories, 5 of them are romance, 7 of them are for kids and 3 documentaries. And this would be for a large city library.
Even a small rural library has thousands of books available. Also they offer other tools for information, including internet, the ability to borrow books from other libraries, news archives, and often additional media CD/DVD/Digital.
Re: (Score:2)
It also has a wider selection.
Yeah, but it has the same restrictions on bringing in your own food. :-P
Re: (Score:2)
And don't forget most of them are remakes no one asked for....
Re: (Score:3)
The Library doesn't cost you $25+ for a single trip.
And it doesn't help movie theatres that even people of fairly modest means might be able to afford a large television and a good used surround sound system. One's home theatre might not be quite as nice as going to the cinema, but being able to pause the movie, rewind if one missed something, and rewatch with no additional cost makes it a lot harder to justify going to the movies.
I've had projectors and surround sound systems for almost twenty years now. I'm technically a little behind the times since my
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
I've pulled working big-screen TVs out of the trash, so, yeah, if someone's motivated, it costs $0 to have a big damned TV. And it's even easier if you have some soldering skills and are willing to replace aging caps, which is the reason why most panel TVs croak if the screen isn't actually broken. And even if you buy one new, you can get a pretty decent, big TV for less than the cost of 25 movie tickets, with soda and popcorn.
Same thing goes for a receiver and speakers, which can often be picked up eithe
Re: (Score:2)
$25+ upfront, only to learn that the writers decided to inject a sexist political agenda that shames you, ruins the interesting narrative that the prior movies had been telling, and is weak and uninteresting on its own merits.
Re: (Score:2)
Or throws out the entire book (or historical event) and just reuses the names of the principle characters because people will recognize 'Dracula' or 'D'Artagan' and buy a ticket.
Re: (Score:2)
The Library doesn't cost you $25+ for a single trip.
...And that's for a SMALL soda.
Re: (Score:3)
Well that small soda IS four gallons...
Re: (Score:2)
Unless you sit where the homeless guy was. Then that will barely cover dry cleaning.
What no mention of why? (Score:2)
The internet is more popular than Hollywood.
That isn't any kind of surprise, and the picture of the girl reading a book should be replaced by a poor middle aged woman on facebook.
Re: (Score:3)
To be fair, the internet provides far better content.
Which says less about how good internet content is but rather in what crappy state Hollywood is...
Re: (Score:1)
Don't even need to be a dick about how wealthy the patrons are -
I use libraries extensively when I'm at certain kitesurfing locations - air conditioning, wifi, quiet work areas, it's not a sandy beach - don't close at 3pm like some coffee shops.
As you said, internet is popular, and libraries provide a convenient public spot to do so.
free shit is popular (Score:5, Insightful)
The library is free. Movies are not, unless you get them from the library. There's a huge demographic of people who can't afford to go to the movies very often. Tickets prices seem to have exceeded inflation for a while now. The movie industry is pricing themselves out of a large part of the market.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:free shit is popular (Score:4, Interesting)
Your taxes might well have subsidized that shopping center that the movie theatre was built in as well, especially in metro areas with lots of cities clustered together competing for retailers.
Re:free shit is popular (Score:5, Insightful)
Your taxes might well have subsidized that shopping center that the movie theatre was built in as well
And, at least with the library, you likely got to vote on whether you wanted to spend your tax dollars to support it. It's unlikely you were given the option of voicing support for/against the shopping center... that decision was made for you - by people who probably received incentives from the developers of the shopping center.
Re: free shit is popular (Score:3, Insightful)
The library IS free. Yes, I pay taxes too. But I've never once been asked for a copy of my tax returns as a condition of entering the public library.
Were a hundred IRS agents chasing after me, the library would still be free. Were a gang of censorship fanboys to burn down the library, the gub'mint would still tax me just as much. And given the current climate of hypercapitalist philistinism they probably wouldn't even bother to rebuild it.
The smallest shittiest public library, in the smallest shittiest smal
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, it's not 'free', but it's close enough to it. I mean, I think the portion of the property taxes I pay that go to my library is something on the order of 2-4%?
Re: free shit is popular (Score:2)
If you pay taxes then you aren't the demographic who is going to the library because it's free. It's the poors who pay little to no taxes that receive an outsized benefit from the free offering.
Re: (Score:2)
The library is free. Movies are not, unless you get them from the library. There's a huge demographic of people who can't afford to go to the movies very often. Tickets prices seem to have exceeded inflation for a while now. The movie industry is pricing themselves out of a large part of the market.
Plus, one month of Netflix costs roughly the same as a trip for 1 person to a movie theater to see 1 movie. Unless you absolutely have to see a movie when it first comes out, or want to see it with a bunch of people or on a really big screen, there's no reason to go to a theater any more (I do actually think, from what I've seen, 1917 would probably be worth seeing in a theater).
That and the fact that, at least in my case, there aren't any movies out there that my wife and I would both enjoy worth the pric
Re: free shit is popular (Score:2)
It was a good movie. Visually/cinematographically dead on. Not much deep character development, but that isnt really an issue here. Some of my favorite films don't have characters at all. The characters that are presented in 1917 are no less interesting than the film requires of them. And it is an interesting film overall. No regrets seeing it. Never started to drag or rehash old stories like the new Star Wars. FWIW, the only two movies I have seen in the past 12 months excepting documentaries.
Seems unlikely (Score:2)
"...U.S. adults report taking in..."
Ah, that explains it.
Well, duh... (Score:2)
Library visits cost $0*. They can be done any time during the library's business hours. One can meet other people at the programs put on by their library. Even as just a free place to rent DVDs, there are thousands of titles available at the same time, rather than the 200ish options at a movie theater over the course of a year. Even as a place to rent books, it's possible to get actual-recommendations from people whose job it is to have information as to what book to choose. It's possible to get college hel
Opioid addiction epidemic (Score:1)
Is it because everyone is doing OxyContin there?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Seems the copyright finally expired on Girl Shy, 96 years, which is insane.
https://abcnews.go.com/Enterta... [go.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, his family seemed to be the same. I was lucky, the CBC had a half hour show on Saturday afternoons with his stuff on (might be misremembering the time, it was 40+ years ago) which introduced me to him. I remember trying to find anything of his on the internet 20 odd years back and other then buying from his family, there was nothing, even recently looking on YouTube, it was similar. Lots of Buster Keaton, Chaplin etc. Likewise in the bargain DVD bin where public domain movies lived where I first was in
Re: Opioid addiction epidemic (Score:1)
Good point.
Imagine how the library would suck if they only had books published in the last year.
Some day I have hope the public interest will overcome the Evil Rat and his suitcases full of cash, unlocking our cultural heritage of old cinema that's been locked away for private profit.
Re: (Score:2)
But what do they do there? (Score:2)
To use the WiFi, right?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
They're still ways to occupy one's time and possibly to entertain one's self.
It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both fruit one can purchase to eat.
Re: (Score:2)
Many of them have DVD collections, and/or offer memberships to hoopladigital.com with legal, prepaid streaming movie options.
Libraries have been competing with cinemas for a while now, you just didn't notice.
Re: (Score:2)
I take it you haven't been to a library in a decade or so. Many of them have DVD collections, and/or offer memberships to hoopladigital.com with legal, prepaid streaming movie options. Libraries have been competing with cinemas for a while now, you just didn't notice.
So, because libraries have books, they're directly competing with bookstores too? How the hell did the entire Marketing Industrial Complex overlook that I wonder.
A library by definition, is designed for a specific primary purpose. Sure, that can include entertainment, but it's certainly not the reason a library exists, unlike movie theaters.
Re: (Score:2)
So, because libraries have books, they're directly competing with bookstores too?
Yes. You seem to be asking that rhetorically, even though the answer is clearly "yes."
Libraries provide a means of reading books essentially for free, thus giving people an alternative to buying the books from bookstores. Same content, different venue, with a competitive price. That sounds like competition to me!
I do like libraries and I am glad they provide this competition. The only argument I can think of that would just
Re: (Score:2)
So, because libraries have books, they're directly competing with bookstores too?
Yes. You seem to be asking that rhetorically, even though the answer is clearly "yes."
Libraries provide a means of reading books essentially for free, thus giving people an alternative to buying the books from bookstores. Same content, different venue, with a competitive price. That sounds like competition to me!
Just because it sounds like competition to you doesn't mean it actually is. You missed my entire point. Libraries do not exist for the purpose of providing competition to stores selling books, and they certainly do not advertise themselves as such. They exist to provide a centralized source of information and reference material. A bookstore exists for the purposes of making money selling a product, just like every other capitalist enterprise. And plenty of them have closed when the only thing that was i
Re: (Score:2)
Libraries compete against bookstores, whether that is their intent or not.
Why go to the movies at all? (Score:1)
Or, for that $75 I can get Netflix DVD and Streaming for about 3 months. Or, if it's a movie I really like, I can buy the 4K Blu-Ray for $25 after it gets released. For kids movies, that they'll want to watch over and over again it's even
Re: (Score:2)
Right but how often do you go to the library instead? If you happen to be a library goer it is probably "all the time" but more than likely the answer is rarely or not at all. You don't even need to go to the library to check out books and read them anymore once you have the card.
Even with the outrageous pricing and decline in attendance to theaters I'm highly skeptical of this claim. There may be more instances of bodies walking through the door of the libraries than the theater but I highly doubt more uni
Re: (Score:2)
The busiest parts of my local library are the DVD (and bluray) section and the computers.
The DVD's are mostly entertainment and the computers are likely a mix.
Yeah, its free (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
you know the kids want some over-priced junk too.
I consider it to be my job as a parent to say no.
Re: (Score:2)
I consider my job as a grand parent to say yes, and do you want ant more. Then as my final comment to my grand children. Your mom and dad are here to pick you up.
Re: (Score:1)
Repeat visits (Score:2)
As someone who was a library goer at one point in the past I know that they have to be counting every library visit as unique instead of the number of unique people visiting the library. Most people don't frequent the library but those who do tend to be heavy readers who go back often. Also if comparing as a leisure activity you'd need to exclude visits by students, especially college and university students to their college/university library.
Re: (Score:2)
As someone who was a library goer at one point in the past I know that they have to be counting every library visit as unique instead of the number of unique people visiting the library.
Well, unique visits are generally what is counted for most statistics. When the New York Yankees report that their 2019 attendance was 3.5 million people, they're not saying it was 3.5 million unique individuals.
Re: (Score:2)
There seems to be quite a few people who visit the library for the same reason people visit the movie theatre, for entertainment, namely watching movies. The DVD section of the local library is very popular and the majority of DVD's are purely entertainment though there are some documentaries and such.
If for whatever reasons you don't have a good internet connection (mine is close to unusable in the evenings) or can't afford streaming services, the library is an excellent source of basically free entertainm
Re: (Score:2)
There is also entertainment value to be had watching the other patrons.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't forget the cute librarian.
Re: (Score:2)
Our librarian growing up was my mom's great aunt. Nice lady, but not actually all that cute . . .
Yeah, maybe we don't want to see the nth remake. (Score:2)
Let alone of stories and mindsets that are more at home in Nazi Übersoldat propaganda movies than in this century's 20s. ("Super hero" ... with eugenics origins ... Norse mythology ... caricatured big bad enemies ... obsession with warfare ...)
Maybe you have ridden your "i.p." to death.
Maybe it's time to stop snorting coke and start "daring" to innovate again, you pussies.
But the way things go today, they will probably make libraries illegal for being pirates^Whighway robbers (with horses! and pewpews!
You can rent movies there for FREE! (Score:2)
You can rent movies there for FREE!
Unlikely (Score:2)
That seems highly unlikely. I expect the mean 8 hours a day spent watching TV is the most common cultural activity, probably followed by discussing TV at work.
Fantastic Bandwidth! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
My Canadian libraries computers and free WiFi are too locked down to do something like torenting. Can't even log into a FTP server on there WiFi and no way to get content off there computers, at least when I tried to download some (legal) ISO's.
"Liberry" (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
First of all, relax.
Second - there seems to be no reason not to make libraries public internet cafes with books at this point. Sure, they should have quiet zones (I'm not against the traditional model of the whole place being quiet) - and possibly rooms for louder games / whatever.
As a service, it seems like we as a society would want to provide places for youths to hang out / possibly learn something - versus wandering the streets with the drugs and the rock and roll. I learned all my current skills play
Re: (Score:2)
For the record, I'm only 50. I used to run for several miles, so stairs don't bother me, but I'm sure it
Yeah, but what are they doing in there? (Score:2)
"Visiting the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in"
There's hope for us yet, maybe. I suspect a fair cross-section of the library-going public is only there to look up porn.
My Library Shows Movies... (Score:1)
Left to wonder, (Score:1)
education (Score:1)
The universities turn away many people - the public library turns away no one.
Re: (Score:2)
Likely cheaper then the sports stadium and possibly cheaper then the subsidies for the mall where the movie theatre is.
Statistically significant? (Score:2)
My daughter goes to the local library at least four days a week. ... Though I suppose that doesn't count since she works there.
I go to the library to get movies (Score:2)
How to save money on new branch libraries (Score:4, Funny)
Open them in the bankrupt movie theaters that nobody is using now. Big buildings in prime locations with lots of foot traffic and plentiful parking.
As a bonus, the high-wattage power supplies that were used to run projectors will be an ideal source for Libby/Overdrive server arrays.
Very....open minded (Score:2)
Considering the Mpls public library deliberately welcomes homeless people and then conveniently has a "let them do whatever they want, we won't judge" policy when it comes to public internet use....yeah, I can see why a lot of people go there. I certainly wouldn't let my kids study there without a chaperone nor would I let anyone touch those computers without gloves on. Ew.
This was already evident with the library's policies back in 2001: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/0... [nytimes.com]
It's gotten worse. The staff there