The new media does not make the old book obsolete. On the contrary, intenser use of the Internet encourages reading a book, scientists from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) discovered. This week, the university presented a study that indicates this. They interviewed 3,000 Flemish people for the survey and conclude that books are not out of fashion in today's digital age, although the number of library visits is declining in Flanders.

The researchers argue that reading seems to get a more social character these days. For example, they signal an increase in reading clubs. Social media provides a good platform to share reading experiences, recommend and discuss books online. Therefore, the online world is probably an addition to reading a book and does not make it redundant.

In Flanders, libraries do have some difficulty convincing the general public of their relevance. According to the university researchers, the key to stimulating people to visit a public library is to make sure many people like to read books. That makes librarians face a vicious circle: to promote reading, people should go to the library, whereas library visits are encouraged by people that like reading.

Libraries are aware of their outdated image and work hard to broaden their offerings. There are now lectures and cultural events in many libraries, where people meet each other. Also, visitors can ask for some guidance into working effectively with the wide range of information that is available these days. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that the average Flemish person is prepared to pay a lot more for the library than you would expect. The maximum amount that would be acceptable to the panelists is around 18 euros higher than what average people spend on library fees at the moment: 2.70 euros. 

We have recently reported a similar discovery in the field of pay TV: Despite the availability of an infinite amount of free information on the Internet, consumers are still willing to pay for products that specifically appeal to them, in this case books and related matters. Even the library seems to have some space to develop new activities in today’s digital age.

Source: De Morgen (Dutch)