More Americans go to the library, virtually

WASHINGTON – Many Americans are finding that visiting the library is as easy as logging in to the computer or clicking an app on a smart phone.

The number of people accessing library services through the Internet is on the rise. According to a recent survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 25 percent of all Americans have visited a library website in the past year.

Online library services are also growing in popularity on mobile devices. The Pew survey found that 13 percent of those asked have accessed the library on a mobile device, a number that has doubled in the past three years.

Thirty-nine percent of Americans ages 16 and older say they’ve gone to a library website, and most of them have done so in the past 12 months.

Those who are most likely to connect to an online library site include parents of minor children, women, and those with at least some college education.

WTOP’S Dick Uliano contributed to this report. Follow

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